Forest & Natural Ecosystems Network

Articles — Page 2

Forest Ecology & Policy

Standing Still, Serving Life: The Ecological Science of Deadwood and What It Means for America's Forest Future

For decades, foresters were trained to view dead and dying trees as liabilities—fire hazards, pest reservoirs, and signs of poor stewardship. Emerging ecological research is dismantling that assumption entirely, revealing that deadwood is among the most biologically productive substrates in any temperate forest. The question now facing land managers and policymakers across the United States is whether forest practice regulations can evolve quickly enough to protect what science increasingly rega

Jul 13, 2026

Ecological Research

The Vanishing Intermediaries: How Industrial Agriculture Is Dismantling America's Pollinator Infrastructure—And the Science Pointing Toward Recovery

Across America's agricultural heartland, the insects that underpin roughly one-third of the nation's food supply are disappearing at rates that alarm entomologists and ecologists alike. A convergence of pesticide exposure, monoculture expansion, and systematic habitat erasure has transformed farmland into ecological dead zones for bees, butterflies, and hundreds of lesser-known pollinator species. Yet emerging research and a handful of pioneering farming operations are demonstrating that this tr

Jul 13, 2026

Ecological Research

Beneath the Forest Floor: How Fungal Networks Are Rewriting the Rules of Ecosystem Restoration

A quiet revolution is unfolding beneath the soils of North America's forests, driven not by charismatic megafauna or towering trees but by the intricate web of fungal filaments connecting root systems across entire ecosystems. Mycorrhizal research is fundamentally transforming how conservation scientists approach reforestation, carbon accounting, and the restoration of degraded landscapes—and the implications for forest policy are profound.

Jul 11, 2026

Ecosystem Restoration

From Bare Ground to Prairie: Seven American Grassland Recoveries That Are Redefining What Restoration Can Achieve

America's native grasslands rank among the most endangered ecosystems on the continent, yet a new generation of restoration projects is demonstrating that large-scale ecological recovery is scientifically achievable and economically defensible. These seven case studies from across the United States document the methods, the challenges, and the measurable results that are reshaping how scientists, land managers, and policymakers think about grassland conservation.

Jul 11, 2026

Forest Ecology & Policy

Oaks on the Brink: The Science Behind a Forest Crisis and the Policies That Could Turn the Tide

Across the eastern and midwestern United States, oak-dominated forests are experiencing a slow-motion collapse driven by fire suppression, invasive pests, and a rapidly shifting climate. Forest ecologists and land managers are now urging a fundamental rethinking of how America manages its most ecologically and economically significant tree genus—before the window for meaningful intervention closes.

Jul 11, 2026