forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending on various cultural definitions, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have different classifications according to how and of what the forest is composed.[1] A forest is usually an area filled with trees but any tall densely packed area of vegetation may be considered a forest, even underwater vegetation such as kelp forests, or non-vegetation such as fungi,[2] and bacteria. Tree forests cover approximately 9.4 percent of the Earth's surface (or 30 percent of total land area), though they once covered much more (about 50 percent of total land area). They function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the biosphere.

For more information about forest check the Wikipedia article here

ZME Science posts about forest

Earliest forest from the dawn of woody plants revealed

Thu, Mar 1, 2012

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Last week we reported about a 300 million year old fossilized forest which was discovered underneath a coal mine in China. A highly remarkable find by all means, fact confirmed by the overwhelming response the story gathered from your part, the reader. If you found that interesting, wait until you learn about the oldest fossilized [...]

300 million year old fossilized forest discovered under coal mine in China

Tue, Feb 21, 2012

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There’s some good coming off China’s extensive coal exploitation (the nation holds the top place for most pollutant emissions resulting from burning coal), as recent mining activities around Wuda in Inner Mongolia, China, has uncovered an almost perfectly preserved 298 million year-old forest. The forest, which also features intact trees with leaves, branches, trunk and [...]

Milan’s Vertical Forest Towers

Mon, Oct 17, 2011

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Bosco Verticale is an ambitious eco project in Milan, designed by architect Stefano Boeri, which tries to blend two discrepant mediums, urban and nature, into one harmonic whole. The project is comprised of  two towers with giant cantilevered staggered balconies that permit fairly big trees to be accommodate, since there is a minimum of two storeys over [...]

The cost of a green forest economy: $40 billion

Mon, Jun 6, 2011

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Acording to a report released by the UN on Sunday, a transition to a low carbon, green and ressource efficient economy requires an annual investment of $40 billion anually, which amounts for only 0.034 per cent of global GDP. If the measures included in the report are adopted, the investment would “halve deforestation rates by [...]

Ethiopia’s forest area triples

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

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Ethiopian authorities announced that thanks to large-scale reforestation campaigns the forest cover of their country has tripled since 2000. The African country has suffered from severe droughts in the past, and their solution to this problem turned out to be just great. “Ethiopia was able to increase its forest coverage to nine percent now from [...]

A new species of chameleon discovered

Mon, Nov 23, 2009

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Dr Andrew Marshall, from the Environment Department at the University of York is the first who spotted a member of the species (and reported it) while surveying monkeys. The meeting however was extremely unfortunate for the chameleon, which was shortly after eaten by a snake. The specimen was collected (I really have no idea how), [...]

Money in the Earth’s Bank: Preservation of Canada’s Boreal Forest

Thu, Jul 31, 2008

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Whether we want to accept it or not, mankind has caused significant (to say the leased) damage to the amount of forests and habitats around the world. That’s why it’s so important for people, especially those in leading positions to take standing positions in protecting and increasing the area of forests around the world. It’s [...]

Mexican mangroves ‘vital for fishing industry’

Sat, Jul 26, 2008

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A few days ago, I wrote about the damage that a well intended, but wrongly conducted mangrove restoration could cause; the article itself was focusing on the Philippines. It is time to underline (again) the importance that they have on ecosystems which rely on them way more than you would probably guess.Just a few days [...]

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