Warming temperatures are creating 'zombie forests' in California

1 year ago 65

Environment

A fifth of conifer forests in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains are now in places that are too hot for them – meaning they may not regrow if wiped out by wildfire or disease

By Lois Parshley

3 March 2023

An aerial view of a forest killed by carbon dioxide near drought-shrunken Horseshoe Lake which may again release deadly levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, on July 28, 2022 near Mammoth Lakes, California. During a series of earthquakes in 1989 and 1990, magma movement opened underground cracks that began releasing Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas that killed a nearby section of forest. The invisible, odorless and tasteless gas is heavier than air and tends to settle over the lake and in snow, and could quickly prove deadly to humans in large amounts. The overwhelming majority of climate-effecting greenhouse gas emissions by humans is carbon dioxide. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Climate change is creating “zombie forests” in California: These conifer trees are standing for now but may no longer be able to regrow where they used to, a significant threat given the growing frequency of wildfires in the region.

Already, 20 per cent of the Sierra Nevada’s forests are in areas that are no longer suitable. By the turn of the century, that number is projected to double, according to new research …

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