Archive for August 2019

New Jersey forests age like fine wine

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Many things improve with age, like wines, cheeses, friendships, antiques and leather boots. How about forests? It turns out that new research shows aging mature forests improve too. They are better at storing carbon and are more resilient to climate change than young forests. They also protect native animal and plant species that need large…

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‘Vine that ate the South’ comes north

You might think kudzu – jokingly referred to as “The vine that ate the South” – is an exotic sport! But it’s a fast-growing, highly invasive vine. And it is spreading into this state we’re in and beyond. Michael Van Clef, director of the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, said about 36 populations of…

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Diamondback terrapins, our salt marsh turtles

Why did the turtle cross the road? On a mid-July day, a diamondback terrapin tried to cross busy 2nd Avenue in downtown Stone Harbor, in Cape May County. How it got there and where it was going are mysteries. The turtle was not near any water! One thing was certain: It was in immediate danger…

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Nature can slow climate change

It’s hard to be optimistic in the face of climate change. For instance, just this past week we learned that July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. And rapidly melting glaciers in Greenland are adding billions of gallons to sea level rise, and wildfires are burning out of control in the Arctic. But…

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Blue-green algae blooms taking the splash out of summer

At New Jersey’s freshwater lakes and reservoirs, summer usually means long days of swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, wading, water-skiing, rafting and paddle-boarding. But this year, a sickening intruder is spoiling the fun. Blooms of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, have shut down water sports at several of New Jersey’s most popular lakes, including Lake…

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