Emilio Vilanova
LightNews LightNews
banner
evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova
@evilanova.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1.5K following 120 posts

Venezuelan | 🌳 Forest ecologist /scientist. Senior Program Officer - Forest Carbon (ARR | IFM) @VERRA. Views and opinions are my own en English & Español.

Videos
Environmental science 67%
Geography 17%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Dec 8
emiliovilanova.com/2020/07/30/m...
Más de 50 años de seguimiento a la ecología y dinámica de los bosques de Venezuela: un esfuerzo multinstitucional
A inicios de la década de los 1950s, bajo el liderazgo de los ingenieros forestales suizos Jean Pierre Veillon (1914-2002) y Hans Lamprecht (1919-2012),  profesores del entonces Instituto de S…
emiliovilanova.com

Reposted by Pieter A. Zuidema, Emilio Vilanova, Joan Dudney

pnas.org
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 9d
Land-use change is the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon, but the risk of abrupt forest decline, along with its potentially devastating consequences, increases as the planet warms, with a strong nonlinear trend beyond 2.3° C of warming. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/6Prr50XKAN1
Aerial view of Amazon rainforest tree canopy. CREDIT: Philippe Ciais

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

mongabay.com
Mongabay @mongabay.com · 13d
Global Forest Watch has launched a new AI-powered alert system that identifies what’s driving deforestation — from agriculture and mining to wildfires.

The data currently cover the Amazon, Congo Basin and Indonesia, with plans to expand to other forests and ecosystems.
Real-time deforestation alerts get an AI boost to identify the causes
Forest logging decreases during rainy seasons. Deforestation caused by mining might not be as seasonal as previously thought. One of the largest drivers of deforestation in Latin America is…
news.mongabay.com

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · 14d
Amazon forest faces severe decline under the dual pressures of anthropogenic climate change and land-use change | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...
Amazon forest faces severe decline under the dual pressures of anthropogenic climate change and land-use change | PNAS
The Amazon is a key climate system component, hotspot of biodiversity and many other ecosystem functions. However, progressive rainforest degradati...
www.pnas.org

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova, Pablo García‐Díaz, Alicia Valdés , and 1 more

natecoevo.nature.com
Nature Ecology & Evolution @natecoevo.nature.com · 15d
Comment article: Matthew Fagan, Naomi Schwartz and Ruth DeFries offer three considerations on uncertainties and potential misapplications of global datasets to ensure responsible use of remote-sensing datasets in ecology and environmental science.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The responsible use of global remote-sensing datasets - Nature Ecology & Evolution
In this age of abundant remote-sensing data, global datasets are increasingly relied upon to analyse the planet at unprecedented scale and resolution. We offer three considerations on uncertainties an...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova, Carly D. Ziter, Joan Dudney

monicagturner.bsky.social
Monica G. Turner @monicagturner.bsky.social · 16d
Please contribute! We neex broad input, different forest types, and an array of natural disturbances to see how disturbance regimes are changing.

Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Neil Pederson, Brian J. Harvey , and 9 more

rupertseidl.bsky.social
Rupert Seidl @rupertseidl.bsky.social · 16d
Calling on all forest disturbance experts: Please consider contributing to our study on global forest disturbance change, and help resolve the nuances of changing forest disturbance regimes. More details and survey here: www.lss.ls.tum.de/edfm/disturb...

Reposted by Julia Koricheva, John Parker, Emilio Vilanova

markuseichhorn.bsky.social
Markus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · 17d
More diverse forests have greater productivity, but do they use more water? A new meta-analysis by Shovon et al. in @journalofecology.bsky.social suggests not. 🌐🌏🧪 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Figure 4 from Shovon et al. (2025). Influence of diversity on transpiration as described by Hedges' g effect size as a function of species richness and water limitations at the (a–c) community level and (b–d) species level. Upper panels assess the influence of drought stress by comparing drought versus no drought conditions, defined through self-reported information. Lower panels assess the influence of regional aridity by comparing humid climates (aridity index >0.65) and dry climates (aridity index ≤0.65). Circles represent observed effect sizes; lines represent posterior mean trends, and shaded areas represent the 95% credible intervals.

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

canjforestres.bsky.social
Canadian Journal of Forest Research @canjforestres.bsky.social · 18d
Spatially detailed tree-ring analysis exposes widespread forest growth decline throughout Canada

Girardin et al.
🔗 https://ow.ly/UhXN50Xz1Fe #OpenAccess

Reposted by Stephen D. Murphy, Tommaso Jucker, Emilio Vilanova , and 1 more

benbondlamberty.bsky.social
Ben Bond-Lamberty @benbondlamberty.bsky.social · 23d
"Overlooked and extensive ghost forest formation across the US Atlantic coast" -- wow what a comprehensive analysis by Yeung, @xiyang.bsky.social et al. 🎉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Overlooked and extensive ghost forest formation across the US Atlantic coast - Nature Sustainability
Large swathes of standing dead trees or ‘ghost forests’ can form owing to rising sea levels in coastal areas, but the extent to which this occurs is unclear. This study maps ghost forests at the indiv...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Will Jennings, Richard Waite , and 6 more

astrokatie.com
Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 25d
The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

globalchangebio.bsky.social
Global Change Biology @globalchangebio.bsky.social · Nov 26
Extreme Heatwave Causes Immediate, Widespread Mortality of Forest Canopy Foliage, Highlighting Modes of Forest Sensitivity to Extreme Heat

🔗 buff.ly/CfdgwRy

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova, Darío Martin‐Benito

josephtumber.bsky.social
Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila @josephtumber.bsky.social · Nov 24
QUESTION: @evilanova.bsky.social and I were discussing resources for finding root:shoot ratios (belowground biomass, root biomass, etc) for global forests / ecoregions

And really doesn't feel like there has been much progress in this

Any suggestions for where to look!??
🧪🌎🌳🍁

Reposted by Oliver L. Phillips

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Nov 20
‘Drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping’: the lawless rush for rare earth minerals in Venezuela www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
‘Drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping’: the lawless rush for rare earth minerals in Venezuela
Guerrilla groups have seized control of mining areas, exploiting Indigenous people and fuelling environmental ruin on the border with Colombia
www.theguardian.com

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Nov 13
The world’s carbon emissions continue to rise. But 35 countries show progress in cutting carbon
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...
The world’s carbon emissions continue to rise. But 35 countries show progress in cutting carbon
In 2025 the world has fallen short, again, of peaking and reducing its fossil fuel use. But there are many countries on a path to greener energy.
theconversation.com

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

josephtumber.bsky.social
Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila @josephtumber.bsky.social · Nov 13
Last week we had the pleasure of having Emilio @evilanova.bsky.social give a guest lecture in our forest ecology class to speak about forest carbon offsets.
Thank you for sharing your amazing expertise with the class!

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Nov 11
news.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-...
The price of gold: In Venezuela, mining threatens Indigenous Pemón
CÚCUTA, Colombia — When Daniel Romero worked at a river mine in Canaima National Park, in southeastern Venezuela, he would wait until the sun had slipped behind the ancient sandstone tepuis before hea...
news.mongabay.com

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Nov 6
Extreme warming of Amazon waters in a changing climate | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Extreme warming of Amazon waters in a changing climate
In 2023, an unprecedented drought and heat wave severely affected Amazon waters, leading to high mortality of fishes and river dolphins. Five of 10 lakes monitored had exceptionally high daytime water...
www.science.org

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

eos.org
Eos @eos.org · Nov 5
Carbon emissions are helping make older trees in the Amazon bigger. But “it doesn’t mean carbon dioxide is good for the forest," says Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert @camplantsci.bsky.social. "What we’re seeing is resilience, not relief.”

eos.org/articles/as-...
As CO2 Levels Rise, Old Amazon Trees Are Getting Bigger - Eos
New data show resilience among the rainforest’s giants, though scientists warn that nutrient limits and rising heat could end the trend.
eos.org

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Oct 29
While not calling for widespread logging, this paper led by @ymalhi.bsky.social is a great example of the value of managed/logged forests in the tropics and summarizes the need to recognize them as tools for conservation and resources for people's livelihoods (3/3) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Logged tropical forests have amplified and diverse ecosystem energetics - Nature
Logged forests in Borneo have higher energy flow from vegetation to and broad range of bird and mammal species relative to old-growth forests and oil palm plantations, showing that they can ...
www.nature.com

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Oct 29
...it is incredibly frustrating to continue reading about the need for Reduced Impact Logging or a plea to stop the complete disregard for forest management, especially when the only alternative is a complete land conversion with the well-known consequences of carbon and biodiversity losses (2/3)

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Oct 29
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... I still remember my early days teaching forest management, ~ 20 years ago, using some of F.E. "Jack" Putz's early work to illustrate the need for improved management, especially in the tropics. While I enjoyed reading this new sort of "reflection" piece (1/3)
Stop disregarding tropical forest management as a conservation option
Most tropical forests with merchantable timber will continue to be logged selectively because not all species or trees produce merchantable wood (unle…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Mathias Disney, Emilio Vilanova

forestplots.bsky.social
ForestPlots @forestplots.bsky.social · Oct 28
Many congratulations to Adriane Esquivel, Rebecca Morgan and to all our colleagues supporting Amazon forest monitoring with RAINFOR and ForestPlots.net!
Our analysis of 30 years of Amazon forest change is highlighted on the cover of @natplants.nature.com.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
natplants.nature.com Nature Plants @natplants.nature.com · Oct 21
The October issue is now fully online:

www.nature.com/nplants/volu...

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

canjforestres.bsky.social
Canadian Journal of Forest Research @canjforestres.bsky.social · Oct 22
How do we define #forestdegradation in different ecosystems?

We are looking for papers that tackle the complexity of measuring degradation in temperate and boreal forests.

Details ▶️ buff.ly/1aULXb4

#EnvironmentalScience #CallForPapers
Aerial view of a large area of forest cleared by logging, showing tree stumps and remaining forest patches. Canadian Journal of Forest Research logo sits in the top left corner. Overlay texts reads: Call for Papers; Measuring Forest Degradation.

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Oct 21
Great to see our paper (led by @nanimuelbert) about the increase in tree size in Amazonia featured on the cover!
natplants.nature.com Nature Plants @natplants.nature.com · Oct 21
The October issue is now fully online:

www.nature.com/nplants/volu...

Reposted by Oliver L. Phillips, Emilio Vilanova

natplants.nature.com
Nature Plants @natplants.nature.com · Oct 21
The October issue is now fully online:

www.nature.com/nplants/volu...

Reposted by Daniel Müller, Karen R. Lips, David Leclère , and 2 more

mongabay.com
Mongabay @mongabay.com · Oct 15
Global deforestation hasn’t slowed in any significant way in the four years since 127 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030.

The newly published 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment shows that nations are 63% off track from meeting their zero-deforestation target.
Global goal of zero deforestation by 2030 is severely off track
Global deforestation hasn’t slowed in any significant way in the four years since 127 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030. The newly published 2025 Forest…
news.mongabay.com

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

mongabay.com
Mongabay @mongabay.com · Oct 9
In 2024, the Amazon Rainforest underwent its most devastating forest fire season in more than 20 years.

According to a new study, the fire-driven forest degradation released an estimated 791 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2024, a sevenfold increase compared with the previous two years.
Amazon Rainforest hits record carbon emissions from 2024 forest fires
In 2024, the Amazon Rainforest underwent its most devastating forest fire season in more than two decades. According to a new study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the fire-driven…
news.mongabay.com

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

journalofecology.bsky.social
Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · Oct 9
🌳 Small elevation differences in an Amazonian forest affect tree growth and survival, partially explaining species' habitat preferences @danielfzuleta.bsky.social #AmacayacuFDP @ForestGEO 🏔️

Read more:https://buff.ly/kYEp7N4

Reposted by Emilio Vilanova

verrastandards.bsky.social
Verra - Standards for a Sustainable Future @verrastandards.bsky.social · Oct 6
Join Verra & Perennial for a webinar on the new DSM tool in the Verified Carbon Standard Program. Learn how it helps quantify greenhouse gas reductions in ALM projects. 📅 Oct 16, 11am ET. Register: bit.ly/4mRnftJ #ClimateAction #SoilCarbon verra.org/webinar-new-...
Webinar: New Digital Soil Mapping Tool
n Thursday, October 16, at 11:00 am ET, Verra and Perennial will be hosting a webinar to provide an overview of the new digital soil mapping (DSM) tool in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.
bit.ly

evilanova.bsky.social
Emilio Vilanova @evilanova.bsky.social · Oct 2
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires
Climate change and land mismanagement are creating increasingly fire-prone built and natural environments. However, despite worsening fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in socially ...
www.science.org