Yale Environment 360: he lowland swamp forests of Riau Province in Indonesia are dense with gnarled roots and tall rainforest trees. The habitat supports critically endangered tigers and a bewildering array of other species, ranging from short-clawed otters to leaf monkeys. The peat soils also lock up massive amounts of carbon.
But the rough terrain is no match for an excavator, which, after digging canals to drain the swamp, can knock down 100-year-old trees with abandon. Logs are sawn, dumped onto barges, and eventually...