In 2018, Sweden experienced an unusually dry year which resulted in numerous forest fires. A team of researchers led by Lund University in Sweden studied the impact of climate change on recently burned boreal forests and their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Boreal forests, which cover the entire Northern Hemisphere, are crucial in the global carbon cycle.The worldwide climate system benefits from forests by taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, the increasing forest fires caused by climate change put this ecosystem service at risk.
Following the forest fires in Sweden during the summer of 2018, a group of researchers initiated the most extensive field campaign ever conducted in boreal forests. Their goal was to examine how the fires impacted 50 forests located across the country.
“We discovered that climate change could diminish the ability of burnt forests to absorb carbon after a fire. Although many of the old trees remain, some of their critical functions seem to be weakened,” explained Johan Eckdahl, a physical geographer.The study conducted at Lund University demonstrates that the regrowth following a fire is impacted by the climate-dependent relationship between plants and soil microbes. Changes in climate weaken the carbon storage function of this partnership due to a lack of synchronization between the adaptive abilities of plants and microbes. Specifically, the current movement northward of fast-growing, warmth-adapted plant species may not keep up with the rising rates of microbial decomposition as growing season temperatures escalate.
The researchers emphasized the importance of plant species migration during global warming as a crucial process for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Failure to do so could have negative impacts on the environment.Johan Eckdahl warns that if Sweden’s boreal forests don’t keep up with climate change, they won’t be as effective at absorbing carbon. The boreal region, also called the taiga, is a huge store of carbon for the planet. However, studies indicate that it may lose its ability to store carbon in the next 100 years due to climate change and more wildfires. This means it won’t be able to absorb as many greenhouse gases as it used to. It’s important to understand how boreal forests respond to outside factors so we can predict how they will handle climate change and the increasing number of wildfires.Biodiversity is vital in the taiga, not just in tropical rainforests, according to a new study. The research emphasizes the often neglected connection between biodiversity and carbon storage in northern ecosystems. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing research and environmental monitoring in the expansive boreal region,” Johan Eckdahl concluded. (Journal Reference: Johan A. Eckdahl, Jeppe A. Kristensen, Daniel B. Metcalfe. Restricted plant diversity limits carbon recapture after wildfire in warming boreal forests. Communications)In the journal Earth & Environment, a study was published in 2024 with the reference DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01333-7. The study can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01333-7.