Clear-cutting has long been practiced as a means of forest management, but a new study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) reveals a shocking truth: this seemingly innocuous practice can have catastrophic consequences, including 18 times more frequent floods and effects lasting over 40 years.

The research team analyzed two adjacent watersheds in North Carolina, both clear-cut in the late 1950s. While one watershed showed no significant impact from the treatment, the other experienced four to 18 times more frequent floods, with average flood sizes increasing by 47 percent compared to pre-treatment levels. The biggest floods grew by as much as 105 percent.

This study challenges conventional thinking about forest management’s impact on flooding, according to Dr. Younes Alila, senior author and hydrologist in the UBC faculty of forestry. “We hope the industry and policymakers will take note of the findings, which show that it matters not only how much forest you remove but also where, how, and under what conditions.”

The researchers found that seemingly minor landscape factors, such as the direction a slope faces, can make or break a watershed’s response to treatment. This experimental evidence validates the need for better analysis methods, Dr. Alila added.

Most conventional flood models rely on simplified assumptions, cutting X percent of trees and expecting Y percent more water runoff. However, this study demonstrates that such models fail to account for extreme and erratic flood patterns that emerge after landscape disturbances.

The most concerning finding was that flood effects in the north-facing watershed persisted for over 40 years, confirming that forestry treatments can lead to long-term changes in a watershed’s flood response, especially as climate change brings more extreme weather.

The findings have immediate relevance for forest management practices, particularly in B.C. where there are similar terrain types and forestry operations in the form of clear-cut logging. The model used in this study can be used to predict which parts of B.C. are currently more at risk of extreme flooding and investigate how much of the severity of recent floods can be attributed to global warming and/or land use and forest cover changes.

“Our findings highlight how multiple landscape factors interact in complex ways,” Dr. Alila noted. “As climate conditions shift, understanding those dynamics is becoming increasingly important for forest and water management.”

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Dogs have long been our loyal companions, but now they’re also being trained as conservation detectives to sniff out invasive species that threaten America’s agriculture and forests. A new study led by Virginia Tech found that volunteer dog-handler teams can effectively detect the elusive egg masses of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect damaging farms and forests across the eastern and central United States.

The researchers asked a simple yet profound question: “What if we tapped into the tens of thousands of dog owners already doing scent detection as a hobby around the country?” They recruited over 1,000 dog owners, with more than 40 percent having prior experience in sport scent detection or related activities. Ultimately, 182 teams from across the U.S. were selected and given devitalized egg masses as training aids.

The results? Dogs correctly identified the egg masses 82 percent of the time in controlled tests. In real-world field trials, accuracy dropped to 61 percent – still better than many human searches. Of the dogs that passed both tests, 92 percent were successful in finding live egg masses with minimal extra training.

This study highlights the untapped power of community science, where thousands of people out there doing scent work with their dogs just for fun can be a valuable resource for fighting the spread of an invasive pest. The findings show that trained pet dogs can also detect powdery mildew, a major fungal disease of grapes and vineyards, with over 90 percent accuracy.

For Sally Dickinson, lead author of the study, this research is about empowering people to work alongside their dogs to protect the places and communities they care about. It’s about giving more dogs and their humans a chance to do meaningful work – a mission that reflects her personal experience as a firefighter and career search-and-rescue canine handler.

As the project reflects, it’s time to unleash the power of citizen scientists in fighting invasive species. With the help of our loyal companions, we can safeguard agriculture and protect the environment for future generations.

As Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands faced devastating wildfires in 2020, it seemed like a catastrophe for its unique wildlife. However, a recent study published in Global Change Biology reveals that the fires actually led to an increase in jaguar population density in the area, making it a potential climate refuge. The research team from Oregon State University and their Brazilian partners have been studying the jaguars since 2014, using camera traps and scat analysis to understand their behavior and habitat.

The study site, covering over 36,700 acres, is a protected area that experiences seasonal flooding. It’s home to a distinct population of jaguars that primarily feed on aquatic organisms rather than land-based animals. These big cats are also surprisingly socially tolerant, often sharing space with other jaguars. The researchers found that the 2020 wildfires and extreme drought drove an estimated loss of 17 million vertebrates across the Pantanal.

The study, led by Charlotte Eriksson, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University, analyzed video footage from camera traps deployed before, during, and after the fires. They also collected nearly 175 jaguar scats to determine their diet. The findings suggest that the area may serve as a climate refuge, buffering the effects of extreme climate events.

Eriksson emphasized the importance of maintaining such refugia and implementing proactive fire management to protect these unique ecosystems. “Finding even more jaguars and other mammals in the study area following the 2020 wildfire and extreme drought suggests that it may serve as a climate refuge, buffering the effects of extreme climate events,” Eriksson said.

The researchers caution against generalizing their findings to other areas due to the site’s unique characteristics, including its protected status. However, they highlight the significance of preserving refugia like this one, which can provide crucial habitat for species struggling with the impacts of climate change.