Tag: geography

UW researchers investigate mining-related deforestation in the Amazon

University of Wisconsin–Madison geography professor and Nelson Institute affiliate, Lisa Naughton led a recent study investigating how formalizing and legalizing gold mining operations might curb their negative environmental effects. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, was co-authored by a group of UW–Madison alumnae including Nora Álvarez-Berríos and Jessica L’Roe and focused on the area …

Earth’s vegetation is changing faster today than it has over the last 18,000 years

MADISON – A global survey of fossil pollen has discovered that the planet’s vegetation is changing at least as quickly today as it did when the last ice sheets retreated around 10,000 years ago. Beginning some 3,000-to-4,000 years ago, Earth’s plant communities began changing at an accelerating pace. Today, this pace rivals or exceeds the …