Land Management & Land Use

While it seems the number of forest fires is increasing, an international team of researchers has discovered a downward trend in global burned area over the past two decades. Capital-intensive agriculture expansion, rather than climate change, is the major factor influencing global burned area.

With rising consumer demand for organic foods, farmers need to explore new methods for pest control. A recent literature review identifies avenues for future research into natural predator-prey relationships that could yield novel alternatives to controversial technologies currently used.

Maple sugar is the most important non-timber forest product in the northeastern U.S. A new study shows greater amounts of nitrogen in the soil can lead to sweeter sap and therefore higher maple sugar yields.

The world has long attributed Tibetan wisdom to the Buddhist monks and their teachings, but largely ignored the wisdom of the nomads. Recently, scientists have proven that traditional grazing practiced by these nomads are crucial for Tibetan rangelands, promoting plant diversity and nectar production.