Northern Forests Are Burning More Than Ever, Adding to Climate Change

Forests in the far north – in places like Canada, Norway, Alaska, and Russia – are burning more than ever before, and it’s making climate change worse.

Since 2001, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) released from fires in these northern "boreal" forests has almost tripled. Overall, forest fires around the world, especially outside the tropics, are now releasing 60% more CO₂ than they were two decades ago.

What’s Causing the Fires? Most fires in these remote forests start because of lightning strikes, which are becoming more frequent as climate change leads to more storms. Dr. Matthew Jones, a researcher from the University of Exeter, explains that this rising trend in fires shows just how much these forests are at risk.

He adds that when forests burn severely, they struggle to recover and store carbon again, which is crucial to keep climate change under control. Knowing how these increasing fires will affect the way forests store carbon in the future is essential.

Why Are Northern Fires Getting Worse? A major study shows that CO₂ from forest fires is increasing everywhere, but especially in northern forests like the boreal forests, also called taiga. These forests cover about 27% of the world’s forest area, and fire-related emissions there have nearly tripled between 2001 and 2023.

Experts say climate change is making the conditions for these fires worse. Hotter and drier weather, along with droughts, create the perfect environment for fires to spread. Rapid warming in northern areas, where temperatures are increasing twice as fast as the global average, is also adding to the problem. This warming leads to more plant growth, which gives fires more fuel to burn.

As northern forests keep burning, they release more CO₂, which only makes climate change worse, creating a dangerous cycle.

Sources: Internet Sources & Twitter X 

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