Climate Change: Boreal Forests at Major Risk of Rising Temperatures

Climate change may be drastically impacting boreal forests in the future. Researchers have found that boreal forests have the potential to hit a tipping point this century.

Boreal forests, which sprawl across the northernmost regions of Canada, Russia, Alaska and Scandinavia, make up about 30 percent of total forest area on the planet. They play a vital role in Earth's climate system by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They are also home to many species of animals and plants, and provide resources, such as wood for lumber.

While boreal forests are valuable resources, they are also one of the ecosystems that are most affected by climate change. With temperatures in the arctic and boreal domains warming at rates as high as .5 degree Celsius per decade, these forests could be in trouble.

Climate zones in boreal forests are moving northwards ten times faster than the trees ability to migrate. Warmer and drier conditions and enhanced variability of climate may have already contributed to increased extent of wildfires. These conditions may have also aided the spread of insects that prey on trees.

"Boreal forests have the potential to hit a tipping point this century," said Anatoly Shvidenko, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It is urgent that we place more focus on climate mitigation and adaptation with respect to these forests, and also take a more integrated and balanced view of forests around the world."

The findings reveal that we should place greater focus on the health of boreal forests. Transition to adaptive forest management is an urgent need for securing future sustainable development of boreal forests. The researchers also stress the key role of monitoring and research to continuously assess the state of boreal forests and improve the understanding of feedbacks and interactions in order to decrease the risk of catastrophic tipping points, where the forests switch from being a net sink for CO2 to a major source of increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The findings are published in the journal Science.

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