Annual mortality rates are rising for all major tree species in Europe, which means forests will soak up less carbon and wildfire risks will increase
Environment 15 November 2021
An aerial view of dead spruce trees suffering from drought stress next to green beeches in a forest near Iserlohn, Germany
INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images
A Europe-wide study has found that the drying out of soils across the continent as the planet heats up is leading to the deaths of more and more trees.
“European forests are suffering,” says Jan-Peter George at Tartu Observatory in Estonia. “It needs to be made clear to everyone in Europe, regardless of whether you are in the north or the south, that this will become a huge problem.”
There …
Article amended on 24 November 2021
We deleted a disputed statistic about wood harvesting.
