July 27, 2023 – As sea levels rise and flooding becomes more frequent, many countries are considering a controversial strategy: relocation of communities. A Stanford analysis of planned relocations around the world, published July 27 in Nature Climate Change, reveals a blueprint for positive outcomes from an approach often considered a measure of last resort. The authors find […]
Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Posted inSci/Tech
Quantifying mangroves’ value as a climate solution and economic engine
A tiny Central American country is charting a path to slowing climate change, while boosting the economy and making communities safer. A new Stanford-led study quantifies the value of Belize’s coastal mangrove forests in terms of how much carbon they can hold, the value they can add to tourism and fisheries, and the protection they can provide […]
Posted inRegional
Stanford-led study reveals a fifth of California’s Sierra Nevada conifer forests are stranded in habitats that have grown too warm for them
The researchers created maps showing where warmer weather has left trees in conditions that don’t suit them, making them more prone to being replaced by other species. The findings could help inform long-term wildfire and ecosystem management in these “zombie forests.” Like an old man suddenly aware the world has moved on without him, the […]
Posted inEnviro
There’s room for improvement in a popular climate-smart agricultural practice, Stanford-led study shows
The promise for American agriculture is tantalizing: healthier soil, more carbon kept in the ground, less fertilizer runoff, and less need for chemicals. The reality of planting cover crops during the off-season – a much-touted and subsidized approach to climate change mitigation – is more complicated, according to new Stanford University-led research. The study, published Nov. 8 […]
Posted inCalifornia
Stanford experts discuss California’s 30×30 initiative – one of the most ambitious conservation efforts ever
April 25, 2022 – One of the most ambitious conservation efforts ever, California’s 30×30 initiative(link is external) aims to protect plant and animal life across 30 percent of the state’s most critical land and water by 2030. Gov. Gavin Newsom has described the plan as an important step toward ensuring community well-being, equity, and economic sustainability while […]
Posted inCalifornia
Wildfire Q&A with Stanford experts: A blueprint for protecting communities and restoring a lower intensity fire regime
Wildfire-weary Californians may be wondering whether their state – the world’s fifth largest economy – is destined for an ever-intensifying cycle of destruction. Can ambitious interventions slow the pace of conflagration fed by extreme heat and drought? If so, what would they look like, how much would they cost and where would the money come […]
Posted inCalifornia
Using Floodwaters to Weather Droughts
Floodwaters are not what most people consider a blessing. But they could help remedy California’s increasingly parched groundwater systems, according to a new Stanford-led study. The research, published in Science Advances, develops a framework to calculate future floodwater volumes under a changing climate and identifies areas where investments in California’s aging water infrastructure could amplify groundwater recharge. […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Stanford Researchers Develop DNA Approach to Forecast Ecosystem Changes
November 11, 2020 – When wolves returned to Yellowstone in 1995, no one imagined the predators would literally change the course of rivers in the national park through cascading effects on other animals and plants. Now, a Stanford University-developed approach holds the promise of forecasting such ecosystem changes as certain species become more prevalent or […]