Climate Change Influencing the Lungs of Earth: The Forests

Abstract

Forests consume a big amount of carbon dioxide emitted by various means, hence they are known as the lungs of the Earth. Forest disruptions are climate-responsive. In response to climate change, however, our understanding of disruption dynamics remains incomplete, particularly with regard to large-scale trends, interaction effects and dampening responses. Here we provide a worldwide assessment of the consequences of climate change on major disruptors of abiotics (fire, drought, wind, snow and ice) and biotics (insects and pathogens). In specific, colder and drier environments promote burning, drought and insect disorders, whereas wet and warm conditions improve winds and pathogenic disorders. Widespread associations among agents are likely to intensify disruptions, although indirect climate impacts, like variations in vegetation, may dampen climate vulnerability to long-term disruptions. In coniferous forests as well as the boreal biome, potential shifts in disturbances are expected to be the most pronounced. Current research concludes that forests must be planned for an extremely disturbed future for wildlife and culture both.