A recent study from researchers at the University of Leeds suggests that as much as two-thirds of the planet’s temperate rainforests could be harmed by climate change by the year 2100.
This groundbreaking global analysis examines how rising temperatures could affect these unique ecosystems. The scientists utilized tree cover maps, forest health assessments, and climate statistics to determine the extent of human impacts on the world’s temperate rainforests and predict how climate change might threaten various regions.
Published today (Tuesday, November 12) in the journal Earth’s Future, the research reveals that under the direst circumstances, up to 68% of temperate rainforests, with some areas facing a 90% loss, could disappear within the coming decades. If countries adhere to their current pledges for reducing fossil fuel emissions, a 23% loss is anticipated. However, taking swift action to cut fossil fuel emissions could minimize this loss to just 9%, emphasizing an urgent need to combat climate change.
Temperate rainforests thrive in regions with cool and humid climates. Nations that host these forests include Canada, the USA, Chile, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Covering less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, these forests play a critical role in the global ecosystem and are vital for carbon storage, possessing a higher carbon density than forests at other latitudes.
Ben Silver, a Research Fellow at Leeds’ School of Earth and Environment, led this study. He stated, “Uncontrolled climate change is disastrous for temperate rainforests both in the UK and worldwide, as they cannot withstand increasingly high summer temperatures, which we’re now beginning to encounter more often and are predicted to worsen further in future climate models.”
“Our findings also indicate that if we exert considerable effort to mitigate climate change, it may not be too late to preserve the world’s temperate rainforests.”
We aspire for our research to aid temperate rainforest conservation by pinpointing areas most vulnerable and least at risk from climate change, as well as highlighting opportunities for forest restoration.
Britain’s Rainforests
In the UK, temperate rainforests can be found along the western coast, encompassing the west coast of Scotland, parts of North and West Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria, and some regions of Northern Ireland.
The Woodland Trust identifies temperate rainforests as a significant priority for conservation and restoration, characterizing them as one of the most biodiverse ecosystems, with the ideal conditions for moisture-loving lichens and bryophytes (such as mosses and liverworts) due to high humidity and lower temperature ranges.
Currently, temperate rainforests represent less than 1% of the land in Great Britain, and last year, both the Scottish and English governments revealed plans for their restoration.
The study concludes that the UK has greater potential for restoration than any other region globally, hosting a quarter of the world’s unforested temperate rainforest climate zones. It also found that UK temperate rainforests can withstand low to medium levels of future warming.
Professor Dominick Spracklen, a co-author of the study, remarked, “The UK has the opportunity to become a global leader in the restoration of temperate rainforests. Immediate funding and decisive actions from large landowners are crucial to meet governmental restoration goals.”
Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, Chief Scientist at the U.S. nonprofit Wild Heritage and one of the study’s authors, emphasized, “All of the world’s rainforests serve as the ‘lungs of the planet’ and need to be preserved and restored as natural climate solutions to mitigate the worst effects of global warming. Temperate rainforests should be recognized as strategically important, alongside tropical and boreal forests, in the quest for a stable climate.”
