Western forests could be facing a 100-year drought, turning to scrubland by the end of the century – and taking their ability to soak up carbon with them, according to a new study.
The new research, published in Nature Geoscience July 29, suggests the western evergreen forests, which cover an area from southern Canada to northern Mexico, took up a lot less carbon from the atmosphere during the drought that lasted from 2000-2004. That’s normal, and expected. The question is what happens after that.
Christopher Schwalm and his colleagues at Northern Arizona University’s School of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability think that there is a good chance the drought could be the new normal. If that happens, a big carbon sink will be lost.
From The Huffington Post: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/west-coast-forest-drought-2012_n_1724177.html?utm_hp_ref=green&utm_source=Week+in+Trees+August+3&utm_campaign=WIT&utm_medium=email