NASA

Adjusting to Forests that Won't Stand Still

For a long time we ecologists thought that we could predict not only how forests would grow but also how their composition was likely to change over time.  And we could predict the effects of management actions: for example, If we chose to thin stands of trees in certain ways, we would expect predictable increases in the growth of the remaining trees, with more shrubs, grasses, and seedlings colonizing the gaps below the trees.

NASA Scientists: Do You See Change? If So, Share It

In January, Judy Donnelly noticed that maple syrup collection was starting much earlier than usual near her Connecticut home. "I've noticed tubing being strung to collect maple sap in neighboring towns," she wrote. "This doesn't usually happen until mid-February." Like others who post observations to iSeeChange.org, Donnelly is aware of changes in the weather and climate in her area. 

Forget Pokemon Go, Use Your Phone to Fight Climate Change!

A group called ISeeChange recently introduced a new mobile app that allows users to document the impacts of urban heat and drought. The ISeeChange Tracker app, created in collaboration with NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Mission, is creating a photographic database of real-world climate impacts.