Pirate's Cove

Oh, wait, I’m sorry, the climate crisis is doing this

Climate crisis making world’s forests shorter and younger, study finds

Climate breakdown and the mass felling of trees has made the world’s forests significantly shorter and younger overall, an analysis shows.

The trend is expected to continue, scientists say, with worrying consequences for the ability of forests to store carbon and mitigate the climate emergency and for the endangered wildlife that depends on rich, ancient forests.

The analysis of more than 150 previous studies found the death rate of trees has increased, doubling in North America and significantly increasing in the Amazon, for example. The impact of forest destruction had cut the area of old growth forest by a third since 1900, the researchers said.

But rising temperatures caused by global heating also cuts growth and increases tree deaths by limiting photosynthesis and causing stress. Furthermore, high temperatures, drought, high storm winds and pests and disease affect older trees more and are all on the rise.

Because if there’s one thing trees hate it’s carbon dioxide and warmth.

Anyhow, it’s cute that they came up with this not by studying the actual trees and forests, but, by looking at other studies.

“They have been getting smaller and younger over the last century, primarily because of the effects of human land use change, and disturbances like wildfires and insect outbreaks and droughts. These are things that are increasing in frequency and severity.”

Wait, wait, that doesn’t actually sound like anthropogenic climate change from carbon pollution, does it?