Northern forests are sensitive to heat

This is evidenced by a new study published in the journal Nature. In the study, researchers, active in the USA and Australia, studied the development over five years of 4,600 seedlings from nine different species of trees planted in northeastern Minnesota, USA. The majority were conifers, that is, those that dominate the boreal forests of North America and Eurasia.

The stations were exposed to different temperatures using heat lamps and underground electric cables. Tarpaulins were also placed there to collect rainwater; This is to control precipitation amounts. The intention was for the trees to receive the amount of rain that could be expected in the future when the climate changed.

uncertain future

RESULTS: The survival rate decreased sharply for all nine species, as was the growth. She points out that the agreement in Paris in 2015 to try to stop temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees, is not enough to prevent major changes in boreal coniferous forests.

The researchers suggest that this could mean a loss of biodiversity. The ability of coniferous forests to absorb carbon dioxide could also be degraded.

Prefer some deciduous trees

Much depends on what can replace the conifers if they disappear. It turns out in the study that higher temperatures benefited some deciduous trees, such as maples and oaks. This species is currently rare in the north, but common in forests in the south.

They will likely take over ecosystems when conifers decline, but no one knows for sure what the composition of plants will be when the heat rises.