Scientists are testing which tree species combinations best support flourishing, biodiverse forests
Countries around the world have committed to massive tree-planting initiatives, but some of them have been poorly designed and managed. A new research project hopes to make them as effective as possible.
Ecologists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland are building a 22-acre forest of carefully planned plots of varying tree species combinations to test how it affects their growth and the surrounding environmental benefits.
It’s part of the Functional Forests project, which will plant 33,518 saplings from 20 different species in 200 different sections to study various reforestation goals like fire resistance, climate resiliency, attracting wildlife, supporting pollinators, producing food, and more.
Why is this good news? Large forests support biodiversity, prevent erosion, protect water quality, absorb massive amounts of carbon, cool the surrounding environment, and may even boost mental and physical health.
Humans deforest about 25 million acres every year, a pace that isn’t sustainable. To save time, money, and resources, we need to reforest in a way that best supports their flourishing.
The WHO global alliance has delivered 100 million childhood vaccine doses since 2023
In 2023, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, launched “The Big Catch-Up” during World Immunization Week. The initiative, which concluded this March, was geared towards vaccinating children aged 1 to 5 years across 36 countries.
The project was largely focused on the world’s poorest countries, with nations in active conflict needing the most urgent care.
Although the final data is still being compiled, “The Big Catch-Up” initiative vaccinated at least 18.3 million children worldwide and protected them against diseases such as diphtheria, polio, and measles. About 12.3 million of those children had never had access to a vaccine before.
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