EYE
ON THE NEWS

CLIMATE
CHANGE ACCELERATES FOREST DIE-OFF

SYNOPSIZED
BY E.M. FAY

The
first major, large-scale study of the mortality rate
of coniferous forests reveals disturbing data: the forests
are dying off twice as fast as they were a mere 17
years ago. And climate change is the cause.

Seventy-six forested
regions in six western states, as well as
British Columbia, were studied by scientists over a period of 50 years. All ages of tree groups - including some up to 500 years old - have been affected by climate change, the researchers said. As Jerry Franklin, Professor of Forest Resources
at the University of Washington, put
it, "Much of the world's population in North America, Europe, most of China, and large portions of Russia, live near temperate forests, so what happens in
these forests has global importance."
... "Forest loss has the potential to greatly exceed forest establishment."

Among
the many related effects on trees of warmer temperatures
are the longer life spans of such harmful insects
as the bark beetle, better conditions for invasive
species and pathogens, earlier summer droughts, and
less snow pack.

Trees have long been known
to be a major regulator of a
healthy world climate because
they give off oxygen while they store
carbon dioxide. So, we are now facing a new danger in the fact that trees emit more carbon dioxide when they die than they absorb.

As
forests provide shelter and food for wildlife, the
tree die-off is likely to have the most immediate impact
on animals' lives. But the death of our forests
has inevitable and tragic consequences for us all.

This
is yet another reason to urge policy-makers
to stop dragging their feet and take rapid action against
climate change.

Read
the whole story in the new issue of Jan. 2000 issue
of Science, or at: http://www.cnn.com/2009 /TECH/science/01/22/stud
y.forests.dying/