Future of the Environment

Extreme wildfires are turning the world’s largest forest ecosystem from carbon sink into net-emitter

A wildfire in Chile.

Wildfires are releasing carbon stored in trees and in upper soil layers. Image: REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Tadas Nikonovas
Research Officer, Geography Department, Swansea University
Stefan H Doerr
Professor of Geography and Director of the Centre for Wildfire Research, Swansea University
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Future of the Environment

The boreal forest forms a near-continuous ring of trees around the world’s northern latitudes.
The boreal forest forms a near-continuous ring of trees around the world’s northern latitudes. Image: The Conversation.
One of the authors investigates a wildfire in boreal Canada. Most of the carbon lost in this fire would have been from soil, not trees.
One of the authors investigates a wildfire in boreal Canada. Most of the carbon lost in this fire would have been from soil, not trees. Image: Cristina Santin/The Conversation.
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Fires like these are now releasing more carbon than is stored in the period in between.
Fires like these are now releasing more carbon than is stored in the period in between. Image: Cristina Santin/The Conversation.

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Related topics:
Future of the EnvironmentClimate and NatureForests
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