The collapse of the Soviet Union had diverse consequences, not least the abandonment of crop cultivation in many areas. One result has been the vast accumulation of soil organic carbon in the areas affected.

The response of terrestrial vegetation to a globally changing environment is central to predictions of future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The role of tropical forests is critical because they are carbon-dense and highly productive.

Apparently pristine African tropical forests are increasing in tree biomass, making them net absorbers of carbon dioxide. Is this a sign of atmospheric change, or of recovery from past trauma?

Forests contribute to global climate change through their influence on the global carbon (C) cycle. The world's forests store an estimated 536 Giga tons of Carbon (GtC) in biomass, 1104GtC in soils (to a depth of 3m) and additional amounts in dead organic matter pools, including fine and coarse woody debris.

A synthesis of observations from the international conference on Adaptation of Forests and Forest Management to Changing Climate with Emphasis on Forest Health, held in Ume

Wetlands perform many essential ecosystem services—carbon storage, flood control, maintenance of biodiversity, fish production, and aquifer recharge, among others—services that have increasingly important global consequences. Like biodiversity hotspots and frontier forests, the world’s largest wetlands are now mapped and described by an international team of scientists, highlighting their conservation importance at the global scale. We explore current understanding of some ecosystem services wetlands provide.