Researchers studied commercial timber plantations dominated by non-native trees like teak and acacia in Central Panama to assess their role as habitats and corridors for native wildlife. Using camera traps, they found 16 terrestrial mammal species, mostly small or medium-sized and nocturnal, using these plantations, but large mammals of conservation concern were not detected. The study highlights the potential of timber plantations to support biodiversity and connectivity in human-impacted landscapes but emphasizes the limitations of non-native monoculture plantations, advocating for plantations of diverse species to enhance wildlife conservation efforts.

A natural experiment during the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak revealed a different impact on pregnant women than previous pandemics. The study published in PLOS Global Public Health showed that it was not respiratory diseases, but other conditions that increased mortality.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in food systems are a major contributor to deforestation in tropical countries, an advanced machine learning model shows.

Laws requiring deforestation-free exports are welcome but likely address only a fraction of forest loss potentially linked to FDI in food systems in domestic markets.

Better regulation of FDI in domestic food production is needed to save more forest cover.

FDI’s contribution to the “supermarketization” of diets in tropical regions is strongly linked to deforestation, pointing to the need for a food-systems-wide approach.