Everybody knows trees are nice. They are green, shady, they smell nice and they provide fruit and flowers to keep us happy. But new studies by the US Forestry Service and others have discovered that trees can help you live longer too. By Jeremy Torr & Phil Stamper.
Trees Reclaim Shipwrecks in Sydney Harbour
Monkey Business: Living with Macaques in Urbanised Singapore
Singapore's increasing need for housing has led to development encroaching onto the edge of nature reserves, the home of wild creatures such as macaques. And there are challenges as nature brushes against human comforts, with macaques being lured towards entrapment and taken away permanently from their natural habitats. Fiona Childs speaks to primatology student Amanda Tan on these issues, to explore how residents can better manage the situation, and to put the whole monkey business to a peaceful rest.
Pulau Ketam: Potential Ecosystem Nucleus in Singapore
A group of passionate people are putting their heads together (and getting their feet muddy) to create a learning centre on Pulau Ketam. Not just any ordinary centre, but a low impact, self-sustaining and ecological friendly zone to promote learning and nature appreciation. Mallika Naguran from Gaia Discovery joins this group as a volunteer and brings us the inside story.
Philippine Wildlife Species Declining Rapidly
Jungle in Crisis: Indonesians Act to Stop Deforestation
Mangrove Forest Deforestation in the Philippines
Many think deforestation happens only in the uplands as cutting the trees means loss of lives and livelihoods as the raging waters from the higher areas bring floods and landslides.
Unknowingly, deforestation continues unabated, too, in the lowlands – particularly those near the seashores and rivers. Mangroves, which most people consider as unimportant, are fast disappearing.
Navicula Kalimantan Tour: Save Rainforests, Save Orangutans Now
Why Trees Matter
Did you know that BILLIONS of trees have died in recent years?
Beetle attacks, asian fungus and drought are taking out North America's ancient alpine bristlecones, Texan shade trees and parts of the Amazon.
Any reader of this site knows that trees planted in the right places help fight climate change. But they help make our planet liveable in a number of other ways too, from fertilising plankton to providing the basis for medicines. Learn more . . . .
Singapore Biodiversity Encyclopedia Launched
New Species Discovery in Papua New Guinea Remote Mountains
Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster: A Subsea Blowout Not Oil Spill, And Other Hard Facts
How The Threatened Species Rafflesia Grows
Rafflesia was first discovered in the Indonesian rainforest by a guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818. So far, 27 species has been found of the plant that was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who headed the team which discovered the unique plant. They can only be found in southeastern Asia, particularly Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines.
Responsible Management of Geoparks and Geotourism: Second Global Geotourism Conference
Saving Tarsier From Extinction due to Deforestation, Illegal Logging
Why Biodiversity Is Important: Sustaining Ecosystems with Ecological Diversity and Genetic Diversity
Biodiversity – coined from biological diversity – is most often thought of as the variety of organisms on earth. Yet it also includes two other factors: ecological diversity (the variety of ecosystems and ecological communities) and genetic diversity (the range of genetic differences found within and between species).
Water Hyacinth Ecological Value, Environmental Impacts
Philippine Eagles Facing Extinction, Deforestation Main Cause
Surging Population Threatens Fragile Ecosystems
The deterioration of the fragile ecosystems has made Filipino more vulnerable to natural hazards like floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, windstorms, tidal waves, and landslides. “Rapid population growth, increasing population density, and environmental degradation are accelerating vulnerability to disasters as settlements encroach into disaster-prone lands,” the PRB says.
Philippines' Ecosystems on the Verge of Extinction
Biodiversity is the buzzword for biological diversity – the ecosystems, species, and genes that together constitute the living world. “Biodiversity is complex beyond our understanding, and valuable beyond our ability to measure,” explains John C. Ryan, author of Life Support: Conserving Biological Diversity.