Introduction
The world's forests are simultaneously climate powerhouses and victims, absorbing carbon from the air while facing numerous global warming impacts - from wildfires to pest outbreaks.
Recent research has found that climate change is already driving widespread disturbances in European forests and, by the end of the century, will likely transform the landscapes that communities depend on.
Behind the Scenes: How Climate Change is Redesigning Forests
My colleague Bob Berwyn has been covering climate science and forests for decades and recently wrote a story about this unsettling forest forecast.
I asked Bob to tell me more about how he first got started reporting on forests - which are much more diverse than people may realize - and explain what this research could mean for the future of these critical ecosystems.
Impact of Climate Change on Forests
When did you first become interested in forests?
I've been interested in forests since I was very young and wanted to know where they came from and why they grew in some places and not others, so I started learning about the geological history of Earth, and how forests grew after big glaciers and ice sheets retreated from North America and Europe.
And for me, growing up in a part-European culture, forests were also places that held mysterious and powerful life forces, manifesting in stories about fairies and druids.
Consequences for the Future
Do changes in forests affect the broader landscape?
One good example is a beetle-caused die-off of piñon pines in the Southwest, also in the early 2000s.
The pine nuts of the piñon were an important food source for Native American tribes in the region for thousands of years and are still culturally important and have spiritual value.
Changes in forests also affect the land and how water moves across it.
When trees die or burn, rain falls on bare soil instead of leaves and needles, running off more quickly and carrying sediment downhill.
Slopes once held together by roots can loosen.
In mountain headwaters, those changes can ripple into rivers that supply farms, towns, and hydropower plants far from forests.
Conclusion
Forests are critical ecosystems that play a fundamental role in the balance of the planet's climate.
Climate change is redesigning forests, causing widespread disturbances and transforming the landscapes that communities depend on.
It is essential that we continue to monitor and report on changes in forests and their impacts on the broader landscape.
Source / Reference: https://mailchi.mp/insideclimatenews/a-reporter-who-sees-the-forest-for-the-trees?e=9c8d2e8aae