Tracking Nature Inequity and COVID-19 Case Rates
Many people turned to nature to alleviate stress and participate in outdoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, nature is less available in low-income and communities of color – the…
Human Health
Tropical Deforestation May Reduce Safe Work for Millions
New research finds that local temperature increases associated with just 15 years of deforestation reduced safe work hours for more than 4.9 million people across the tropics. Exposing outdoor workers…
Science for Evaluating Flood Risk + Improving Community Resilience
Using novel applications of satellite radar imagery and a specialized computer algorithm, a new study examining flooding caused by Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) shows that current flood hazard…
Heat Exposure From Deforestation Decreases Cognitive Performance of Rural Workers
Deforestation causes dramatic increases in local temperature. New research shows that the associated heat exposure is harming the cognitive performance of rural subsistence workers. The Gist The study, published in…
Deforestation Reduces Worker Productivity in the Tropics
New research from Indonesia finds that rural workers in deforested landscapes were less productive than those working in intact forest settings. Deforested locations experienced hotter temperatures, prompting workers to adapt…
Planting Trees in Pasturelands Keeps Things Cool
Farmers in the tropics can harness the cooling benefits of tree cover by incorporating trees within their pasturelands. Known as silvopasture, this practice can reduce local temperatures up to 2.4°C…
Can Freshwater Reserves Protect Tropical Fish Diversity?
Marine reserves – basically, no-take reserves set aside to protect fisheries – have become an widely utilized conservation tactic. But this protected-area model is often overlooked in freshwater conservation. Could…
Market-based Solutions Must Consider Gender
Published in Biological Conversation, a new paper argues that, to have any chance of being equitable, market-based climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation solutions must also consider gender at their core.…
The Disturbingly Long Tapeworms of Alaskan Bears
Last week, I posted a blog on the growing popularity of trail cameras and included a number of photos and videos of cool wildlife. I have received a number of…
How Trees Can Help Fight Rising Heat in Arid Cities
As the world grapples with increasingly common and devastating heat waves, new science shows that nature-based solutions—like tree planting and water conservation—are important and cost-effective ways to help protect vulnerable,…