Over 9 Million Acres To Be Protected, Keeping Them Free From Road-building and Logging Ask people to find the world’s rainforests on a globe, and most will probably point to South America. But North America has rainforests too – and like their tropical counterparts, these temperate rainforests are ecological treasures. The Biden administration finalized a rule on Jan. 25, 2023, that restores roadless protection to more than 9 million acres of the Tongass National Forest, keeping this land free from road-building and logging. The Tongass is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and the biggest U.S. national forest.…
Author: Beverly Law
Dr. Beverly Law, Oregon State Univ., The Conversation
Dr. Beverly Law is now an Emeritus Professor, and was previously Professor of Global Change Biology & Terrestrial Systems Science in the Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society, and an Adjunct Professor in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. She is an American Geophysical Union Fellow and Aldo Leopold Fellow. Dr. Law’s research focuses on the effects of climate change, fire, and management on ecosystem carbon and water cycling, addressing issues such as vulnerability of forests to drought-related mortality, and ecological implications of human actions intended to minimize drought and fire effects. She is an author or co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications. She and her students and postdocs have contributed to our understanding of the interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere, and regional analysis of carbon and water cycling and potential vulnerability of forests under future climate.