Fluorosurfactants are widely used for smothering forest fires. The chemicals are harmful for the environment causing irreversible genetic mutations of animals and destroying the ozone layer.
via en.rian.ru
Scientists have released a global map of forest canopy heights based on NASA data. “Although there are other local- and regional-scale forest canopy maps, the new map is the first that spans the entire globe based on one uniform method,” says the NASA press release. “The work — based on data collected by NASA’s ICESat, Terra, and Aqua satellites — should help scientists build an inventory of how much carbon the world’s forests store and how fast that carbon cycles through ecosystems and back into the atmosphere.”
via www.nasa.gov
via blogs.ngm.com
Monuments to nature's possibility, some tree species can go to extremes from towering canopies shading coastal forest to ancient, gnarled branches casting scant cover over arid landscapes. Many such trees have fallen prey to logging and human encroachment over the years. But few persist.