Navigation Links
Can you rescue a rainforest? The answer may be yes
Date:3/27/2008

ell. After 50 years, the fungi seem to still be alive in the soil, able to help new trees grow.

Another success came when Cornell student Jackeline Salazar did a survey of the plants that moved into the planted areas. She counted understory species, plants that took up residence in the shade of the new trees. Most plots had over a hundred of these species, and many of the new species are ones that also live in nearby remnants of the original forests.

Together, these results mean that mixed-species plantings can help to jump-start a rainforest. Local farmers who use the same approach will control erosion of their land while creating a forest that can be harvested sustainably, a few trees at a time.

"By restoring forests we're helping to control erosion, restore quality forests that belong there, and help the quality of life of the local people," says Leopold.

That quality-of-life issue is drinking water. It's in scarce supply where forests have been destroyed, since without tree roots to act as a sort of sponge, rain water runs off the hillsides and drains away.

Erosion is also out of control. "You might drive on a dirt road one year, and then come back the next to find it's a gully over six feet deep," says Leopold. "It's a very serious problem."

Does the experiment's success mean that rainforests will one day flourish again? Fully rescuing a rainforest may take hundreds of years, if it can be done at all.

"The potential for the forest being able to come back is debatable," Leopold says, but the results are promising.

"I'm surprised," he said. "We're getting an impressive growth of new forest species." After only ten years, plots that began with a few species are now lush forests of hundreds. Who knows what the next few decades - or centuries - might bring?


'/>"/>

Contact: Joan Curtiss
jcc25@cornell.edu
607-254-4758
Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research
Source:Eurekalert

3

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Rabbits to the rescue of the reef
2. Survey finds elevated rates of new asthma among WTC rescue and recovery workers
3. MIT: No easy answers in evolution of human language
4. Fungus genome yielding answers to protect grains, people and animals
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/16/2013)... NEW YORK , May 16, 2013 ... market research report is available in its ... Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 ... data protection and old security practises such ... driven the growth of biometric technologies in ...
(Date:5/15/2013)... touting its benefit in moderating gout risk, new research ... not reduce uric acid (urate) levels to a clinically ... supplementation, alone or in combination with allopurinol, appears to ... in gout patients according to the results published in ... & Rheumatism . , Gout is an inflammatory ...
(Date:5/15/2013)... PHILADELPHIA In the largest clinical trial to date ... BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ... be effective against advanced pancreatic and prostate cancers. Results ... School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and ... presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology,s annual ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 2Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 3Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 4Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 5Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 6Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 7Vitamin C does not lower uric acid levels in gout patients 2PARP inhibitor shows activity in pancreatic, prostate cancers among patients carrying BRCA mutations 2
... Berkeley Girls in homes without a biological father ... according to a new study led by researchers at the ... The findings, to be published Sept. 17 in the ... a biologically related father in the home predicted earlier breast ...
... More than 100 marine scientists, policy makers and members ... network of observatories monitoring Europe,s seas, at the ... Observatories,. This will give reliable, long-term data to underpin ... fisheries, aquaculture, energy, shipping, as well as tourism and ...
... CORVALLIS, Ore. Researchers at Oregon State University have ... a type of nanostructure that has gained significant ... surface area in microreactors. The findings, announced in ... door to important new nanotech applications in production of ...
Cached Biology News:Father absence linked to earlier puberty among certain girls 2Father absence linked to earlier puberty among certain girls 3Father absence linked to earlier puberty among certain girls 4Watch your seas: Marine scientists call for European marine observatory network 2'Nanosprings' offer improved performance in biomedicine, electronics 2
(Date:5/17/2013)... May 17, 2013 - Elsevier, a world-leading provider of ... announced the publication of a recent study in ... human blastocysts showing that those with an abnormal chromosomal ... they have developed to blastocysts, thereby classifying the risk ... study the same group has undertaken a retrospective study, ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... 2013  Cellular Biomedicine Group (OTCQB: CBMG) today ... the total projected enrollment required for its Phase ... efficacy of the medical technology haMPC (Human Adipose-derived ... To date the trial has had no Severe ... I open label clinical research trial for KOA, ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... Men’s skin is biologically different than women’s skin,( says skin ... known to react more aggressively when hormones change, and acne ... other acne causing factors like P.acnes bacteria and excess dirt ... unsightly acne scars. Adult acne treatment, Probiotic Action shares new ... to reduce and prevent acne scarring. , In order to ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 IAC Industries wants ... a start up laboratory needing to set up and furnish ... to a larger facility within a year’s time. How does ... that the laboratory is temporary? What is efficient and cost-effective? ... modular workstations from IAC Industries. The planners at DisperSol determined ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Breakthrough for IVF? 2Breakthrough for IVF? 3Cellular Biomedicine Group Achieves 50% Enrollment Milestone in Phase I Clinical Trial for Knee Osteoarthritis 2Adult Acne Treatment, Probiotic Action Shares New Insight on Why Men’s Skin Scars from Acne and How to Prevent It 2New Downloadable Success Story: “How To Outfit a Dynamic Lab in Flux” 2
... YORK, Feb. 24, 2011 Reportlinker.com announces that ... its catalogue: Propylene Oxide: 2010 ... http://www.reportlinker.com/p0152026/Propylene-Oxide-2010-World-Market-Outlook-And-Forecast.html The report analyzes ... North America and Latin America. It provides the ...
... 24, 2011 Reportlinker.com announces that a new ... Global Marine Biotechnology Industry ... This report analyzes the Global markets for ... product segments- Marine Biomaterials, Marine Bioactive Substances, and ...
... Feb. 24, 2011 Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ... public offering of 23,000,000 units, consisting of 23,000,000 shares of ... of its common stock and Series B Warrants to purchase ... the public of $1.00 per unit. Palatin expects that the ...
Cached Biology Technology:Reportlinker Adds Propylene Oxide: 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast 2Reportlinker Adds Global Marine Biotechnology Industry 2Palatin Technologies, Inc. Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock and Warrants 2Palatin Technologies, Inc. Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock and Warrants 3
... This DuoSet ELISA Development kit contains ... of sandwich ELISAs to measure natural and ... supernates and serum. Each kit contains sufficient ... 96-well plates, provided that the following conditions ...
Conjugation services for Antibodies, Proteins, Oligos, Peptides, Beads, bioconjugation, antibody-oligonucleotide, LNA peptide, LNA protein, LNA antibody, HRP, Alkaline phosphatase, phycoerythrin, FIT...
Blimp-1 (H-150)...
SCP-1 (P-17)...
Biology Products: