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Forest fires are shifting north and intensifying – here is what that means for the planet
Global carbon emissions from forest fires have increased by 60 per cent over the past two decades
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Climate change is creating ideal conditions for larger, more intense fires, which accelerate climate change by releasing more carbon to the atmosphere.
PHOTO: AFP
Matthew William Jones, Crystal A. Kolden and Stefan H Doerr
Fires have long been a natural part of forest ecosystems, but something is changing. Our new study shows that forest fires have become more widespread and severe amid global heating, particularly in the high northern latitudes such as Canada and Siberia where fires are most sensitive to hotter, drier conditions.
The implications of this are alarming, not just for the ecosystems affected, or the cities engulfed by smoke downwind, but for the planet’s ability to store carbon and regulate the climate. The trend we discovered contrasts with declining fire extent in savannah grasslands, which may reflect the expansion of farming and changing rainfall patterns.
