Researchers combined forest inventory data, satellite observations, and machine learning to estimate tree density across North America and evaluate the uncertainty of those estimates. The study suggests the continent contains between 339 billion and 514 billion trees with DBH＞10 cm and shows that estimates can vary substantially depending on forest definitions and tree size thresholds. The framework provides a consistent approach for large-scale forest monitoring, biodiversity assessment, and carbon accounting.

Researchers from the University of Georgia and the USDA Forest Service evaluated four strategies for predicting future tree diameters for "unobserved" species. They found that all four strategies can produce reliable predictions. However, approaches that incorporate species-specific information, such as post-hoc calibration using at least one repeated measurement or grouping rare species into an "others" category, tend to provide more precise results. The study offers practical guidance for forest managers working in species-rich tropical forests, where rare and unobserved species are common.

China's massive reforestation effort has transformed more than 77 million hectares of land, but new research shows that planted forests face different drought risks from natural forests. Using satellite observations from 1990 to 2024 and machine learning analysis, researchers found that planted forests are more vulnerable to rapid-onset flash droughts but less prone to prolonged slow droughts. The differences are linked to forest structure: natural forests have greater species diversity, more complex canopies, and deeper root systems that help buffer sudden water shortages, while planted forests are typically younger and less diverse. The findings highlight a trade-off in drought resilience and suggest that future forest management should prioritize mixed-species, structurally diverse forests to better withstand increasing climate extremes.

The FORSAID project organised its first technology demonstration workshop in June 2026, showcasing innovative technologies for the early detection and monitoring of forest pests in the field.

For millennia, farming in Switzerland did not reduce plant diversity but helped increase it, University of Basel researchers have shown in a detailed reconstruction covering the past 7000 years. Only recent decades paint a different picture.

As one of the world’s most revered gourmet foods, some truffles can sell for more than €1,000 per kilogram, making cultivation a lucrative business.

Rice grown on the Moon? No, this is not something out of science fiction, but a future possibility thanks to a plasma technology developed by Tohoku University and JAXA. The plasma technology synthesizes gas from atmospheric air and turns it into a nitrogen-based fertilizer. Researchers also tested the fertilizer on rice seedlings planted in a lunar soil simulant, finding that the fertilizer released critical minerals from the Moon's soil while suppressing harmful ones. The technology is portable and energy-efficient, meaning it can even be used here on Earth for a more sustainable form of rice farming.