Home / Environment / Australia's Forests Dying Faster as Climate Warms
Australia's Forests Dying Faster as Climate Warms
6 Jan
Summary
- Tree mortality is rising across all Australian forest types.
- Warming temperatures are the most likely cause of increased tree deaths.
- Declining forest health may reduce carbon storage capacity.
New research reveals that Australia's forests are suffering from an accelerating rate of tree mortality, a trend strongly linked to the warming climate. Data spanning decades and across numerous forest plots indicate a consistent increase in background tree death rates, irrespective of logging or fire impacts. Scientists emphasize that this escalation is highly likely a consequence of rising global temperatures, which have seen a near 1.2 degrees Celsius increase since pre-industrial times.
The study, which excluded areas affected by disturbances like logging or fires, found that the trend persists even after accounting for forest density. Notably, tropical savannas experienced the sharpest rise, with annual tree deaths nearly doubling between 1996 and 2017. This decline in tree survival, not matched by growth, suggests a diminishing forest stock and a reduced capacity for these vital ecosystems to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.
This widespread phenomenon, observed across diverse Australian ecosystems from tropical rainforests to temperate forests, signals a worrying global trend. As forests worldwide absorb about one-third of human-caused CO2 emissions, a decline in their health and carbon sequestration ability could have profound implications for climate change mitigation efforts. The findings underscore the urgent need to address the impacts of a warming planet on natural carbon sinks.
