Scienceblogtwo

It is yet unclear what factors restrict tree growth. The development of trees appears to be constrained by cell growth rather than photosynthesis, according to new findings from an international team of scientists. The U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability II provided funding for the study, which was released in the journal Science on May 12th. The study's conclusions are shocking as well. A significant amount of our present carbon dioxide emissions are currently absorbed and stored by forests. The ability of the trees to absorb carbon and delay climate change would decrease if forest expansion slows. The study also discovered that photosynthesis and tree development respond differently to various climate cues, indicating that current models of forest carbon sequestration may overestimate the capacity of forests to store atmospheric carbon....

It seems that planting trees is typically a good thing for the environment. Since trees absorb carbon dioxide, they partially balance the emissions that cause climate change. However, if a forest fire breaks out, all of the carbon stored in the world's trees and forests might be burned away and released back into the atmosphere. When trees perish from drought or insect damage, they also stop removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to recent research published in the journal Ecology Letters, it is becoming more likely that these dangers will affect forests across the country, making it considerably riskier to rely on forests to absorb carbon emissions. According to William Anderegg, research main author and associate professor at the University of Utah School of Biological Sciences, "U.S. woods could look significantly different by the end of the century." "Serious and frequent fires and other disturbances have a significant influence on our environment...