Issue 61

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World

Spatial Distribution Patters of Tropical Forests

The spatial distribution of tree species in species-rich tropical forests is highly complex. The figure shows the spatial position, species identity (colour) and size of individual trees in a 500 m × 1000 m study plot on Barro Colorado Island (Panama), which was also analysed in the study. Photo: UFZ


Interesting study of tree species spatial distribution. In the tropics the pattern is primarily driven by the seed dispersal mechanisms, in the tropics 70%-80% of which is by animals. Which is not the case in temperate forests. In temperate forests patterns are “shaped by mycorrhizal fungi”.

Climate Change

Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Another climate change red flag. The Antarctic Cicumpolar Current may slow down.

Breaching 1.5C of Warming

2024 hottest year on record. The world breached 1.5C of warming for the first time.

The Future of Nature - PBS

This is a really excellent series that just started on PBS. As if we need another indictment of commercial fishing we learn that it is reducing carbon storage 50% over what it could be. It provides a somewhat hopeful view that we can use mechanisms that exist in nature to help amplify climate solutions. All episodes are not out yet so there will likely be more on this in the future. Highly recommend. I’ve highlighted some of the most interesting science and scientists that are part of the show.

London and Climate Change

London could be much colder. Another AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) collapse story. If the AMOC does collapse, some European cities would be 10 C colder.

Life beneath the snow

Country Overshoot Days

This site has an interesting calendar-based index that marks when a country overshoots the planet’s annual biocapacity budget. The US overshoots on March 13th. Uruguay has the best record and doesn’t overshoot until December 17th.

Geo Tech

New North American Datum

In 2026 there will be a new datum replacing NAD83. Unless everyone at NOAA gets fired.

Weather models

With the Trump administration cuts to NOAA, is our future private companies like WindBorne?

The Making of Climate Change Graphics

An explainer from Financial Times on how they made an Arctic Sea Ice decline graphic.

South America

Geoglyphs - New Nazca lines

The researchers' A.I. model can spot geoglyphs' outlines 20 times faster than humans. Masato Sakai et al. / PNAS, 2024


Portugal

Rewilding the Tauros

A BBC video on the rewilding of the Tauros. “The Tauros resemble the long lost Auroch, a Prehistoric animal depicted in Paleolithic engravings.”

China / Taiwan

Squeezing Taiwan

An artilce with a good set of maps showing incursions from China into Taiwan.

Japan

If you’re looking for hiking maps in Japan, check out Japan Wilds. Great Japan hiking maps by a Swiss Cartographer.

Europe

Paris: What Political Will Can Achieve

Source: Airpariff


Relatively stunning decline in air polution in Paris. This is what is achievable with political will and action.

Rewilding Europe

Rewilding news in Europe. Check out the European Bison recovery story map.

Denmark / Greenland

New Coat of Arms

New Danish Coat of Arms

Hold up Donald, UK has dibs

UK has “first rights” to purchase Greenland?

US

LA Fires

BBC has some great maps of the LA fires

New National Monuments

New California National Monuments:

More on Watch Duty, the fire information app

Wisconsin Geology

New map of Quaternary Geology of Wisconsin. If you’re going to hike the Ice Age Trail, better take this map.

SetJetters

If you like to visit movie locations you should check out the SetJetters app. Probably the ultimate film location tourism app. There’s also a new map of Oregon film locations.

Geography of Hate / Empathy

More on the Own Our History front. More than 100 years after it was initially reviewed by the Justice Department, a 1921 report on the Tulsa race massacre. They called it a “military-style attack on Greenwood” where hundreds were klled and their belongings looted. 35 city blocks were destroyed.

The Fear is the Point

Using fear to intimidate migrants. It’s a pretty clear policy to use fear to reduce legal immigration.

Empathy Atlas

Empathy and Equity through maps.

Forgotten North America From Bob (Thanks Bob). A cool website of abandoned homes and structures.

US Place Names

Trump shits on Geographical names. Everyone capitulates. But this is allowed. Obama’s Dept. of Interior made the name change from Mt. McKinley to Denali because it had been requested by Alaska in 1975 but the Ohio congressional delegation objected (McKinley was from Ohio). So the Board on Geographical names did nothing until the Dept. of Interior action in 2015.

PBS Great Migrations

A very interesting show on US PBS about “the transformative impact of Black migration on American culture and society. From the waves of Black Americans to the North—and back South—over the last century to the growing number of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean today, the film shows how movement is a defining feature of the Black experience”.

PNW

Shocking! Volcanic Rock is Porous!

In this undated supplied image, a large-volume spring high in the Cascade Mountains contributes to the McKenzie River, which helps supply water for the Eugene metropolitan area. Courtesy of Leif Karlstrom/University of Oregon


While this is an interesting finding, when I first heard it, my reaction was “Duh!”. The Metolius River doesn’t fully spring out of the rock as a complete river without a massive supply of water.

Salish Sea Atlas

A very nice collection of maps and information on the Salish Sea.