Your latest Forest Digest, with everything from wildfires to woodpeckers!
- West Coast Flies to the Rescue of East Coast Hemlock Forests — Entomology Today
A team of scientists hopes to combat the insect blight of the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid plaguing the hemlock forests of Appalachia by introducing a fly native to Washington state, with initial results looking positive.
- French minister says Nutella spread ‘damages environment’ — BBC
This past Wednesday, France’s Ecology minster Segolene Royal called for Ferrero, the parent company of the beloved spread Nutella, to change their ingredients to exclude palm oil after warning that global consumption of the oil has led to massive deforestation in Malaysia, Brazil and other critical ecosystems around the world.
- EXPERTS’ FIRE FEARS: Thin the forests, UC Riverside scientist says — The Press Enteprise
In light of the continuing Lake Fire raging in California, Professor Minnich of UC Riverside calls for increased thinning of smaller trees and brush to impede the advance of what he fears could be a disastrous fire season for western forests.
- In Recently Burned Forests, a Woodpecker’s Work is Never Done — USDA Blog
A recent study published in the Journal of Zoology found that the black-backed woodpecker plays a significant role in habitat recovery following wildfires, as the nests that they create are inhabited by other creatures soon after their departure.