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Life in the Rubble
Sri Lanka's Yala National Park is making great strides in recovering from the devastating 2004 tsunami-without any help from humans. According to Discover (Dec. 2006), biologist Prithiviraj Fernando convinced the Department of Wildlife Conservation to postpone cleanup efforts in the preserve in order to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to study the little-understood impact of tsunamis on ecosystems. His team found that grasses and herbs that drowned in salt water had quickly begun to recover. So had trees and bushes that were damaged, but not entirely uprooted, by the force of the wave. The impact on animals was harder to assess: Only a small number of large mammals were caught in the wave, though many small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians probably drowned. Areas not swamped by water provided ample opportunity for recolonization, and the masses of vegetative debris left in damaged areas could prove useful as nesting sites.

Bird's-Eye View
The Fujifilm Blimp is pulling double duty these days, hawking the company's wares to fans at Yankee Stadium and helping activists track the movement of migratory wading birds. According to Audubon (Nov./Dec. 2006), about seven islands in the tidal waterways around New Jersey and New York are colonized by wading birds every year. Local Audubon volunteers have surveyed these bird populations on foot for a quarter century. The blimp can actually follow the birds in flight, allowing researchers to identify key wetlands for acquisition and restoration to protect the egrets, herons, and ibis that make their summer homes there.

The Giving Tree
Mass urban tree plantings may not just beautify cities but also save them money, reports High Country News (Nov. 13, 2006). According to the Center for Urban Forest Research in Davis, California, each dollar spent on a tree in Los Angeles recoups benefits worth $2.80. Trees suck carbon dioxide from the air; shade buildings, lowering air-conditioning costs; and reduce stormwater runoff by slowing rainfall and absorbing water that would otherwise hit the pavement. But not all trees are urban ecowarriors. Researchers at the State University of New York at Syracuse note that some trees sequester more carbon than others, OnEarth (Winter 2007) explains. And while trees do emit some volatile organic compounds, which contribute to the formation of ozone and lower air quality, some species are worse offenders than others.

Preserving Suburbia
'Suburban historical landmark' may sound like an oxymoron, but as the cookie-cutter subdivisions developed after World War II turn 50, many of the ramblers lining their streets are becoming eligible for historic preservation. Governing (Oct. 2006) reports that architecture historians are struggling with the idea of what elements, if any, should indeed be protected. Some preservationists consider the suburban tracts of ranch houses antiurban and antipedestrian, and therefore unworthy of historic designation. Others argue that examples of the style, even if they aren't beautiful, should be preserved for future generations. But first, historians need to figure out what actually constitutes a good example of post-World War II architecture and planning; then they need to sort through the sheer magnitude of ramblers built in that era to figure out what to preserve.

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