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A young herdsman tending his herd in a pasture in Nepal’s Manaslu region. © INRA, MEURET Michel

Press release

06 Apr 2018

Environment and economic growth: what’s become of Nepal’s forests?

Economics and social sciences

Nepal is a hilly and mountainous country where a quarter of the land is covered by forest, an essential source of energy for rural inhabitants. Researchers from INRA and their colleagues showed that firewood collection remained stable between 2003 and 2010 despite rural households’ rising living standards and energy needs. This paradox is explained by a decline in farm-based activities, which reduces pressure on forest resources.

Tree in winter. © INRA, Hervé Cochard

Press release

18 Oct 2017

How light and wind shape tree architecture

Plant health - Plant biology

In this virtual ecosystem, trees compete for light, change their growth patterns in response to wind, and experience storms that can snap their branches. The researchers found that light competition and wind selected for fractal forms—morphological patterns that repeat themselves (are "self-similar") across different scales. Such self-similarity* has been observed in real trees by ecologists and forestry scientists. Consequently, it is possible that light and wind acted in tandem over evolutionary time to sculpt the current architecture of trees. These findings were published on October 18, 2017, in Nature Communications.

Understanding forest response, imagining the future. © INRA, URFM

News

23 Jan 2016

Fifty years of forestry research

Agroecology - 1960s

With the creation of forestry research stations in the 1960s, INRA combined agronomy and forestry research, an original solution that allowed an integrated approach to environmental research.

Lymantriide larvae on oak. © INRA, Alain Roques

Press release

28 May 2015

A first in tree research: European trees planted in China to identify potentially invasive species in our forests

Agroecology

INRA scientists worked with colleagues from the Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University to study the ability of Chinese insect and fungal pathogens to colonize European trees.

Widespread mortality of fir trees (Abies alba) in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France. © INRA, Hendrik Davi

News

28 Nov 2014

Sounding the alert: forests face the threat of climate change

Climate Change - Agroecology

International experts have issued a joint declaration to raise public awareness about the possible widespread forest tree deaths due to climate change and the resulting social and ecological implications.

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