New research has proven that the world’s forests play a greater and more complex role in tackling the climate crisis with the help of their physical effects on global and local temperatures.
While the role of forests as carbon sponges has been long established, the latest research shows that forests deliver climate benefits well beyond just storing carbon, helping to keep air near and far cool and moist.
Findings of the research which was published in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, showed that forests are important to mitigation and adaptation, cooling the air and protecting us from droughts, extreme heat and floods caused by climate breakdown.
The study found that the band of tropical rainforests spanning Latin America, central Africa and south-east Asia generate the most local and global benefits, being the first to show the non-carbon dioxide benefits of different forests.
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The study which was undertaken by researchers from the US and Colombia found that overall forests keep the planet at least half of a degree Celsius cooler when biophysical effects – from chemical compounds to turbulence and the reflection of light – are combined with carbon dioxide.
It found that In the tropics – from Brazil and Guatemala to Chad, Cameroon and Indonesia – the cooling effect is more than one degree and that while all forests provide multiple benefits, some are more important than others in keeping the climate stable.
Principal scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and co-author of the study, Louis Verchot said that despite the mounting evidence that forests deliver myriad climate benefits, trees are still viewed just as sticks of carbon by many policymakers in the climate change arena.
While deforestation has had devastating impacts on biodiversity, food security, and global heating, a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned about catastrophic consequences humanity faces with rising temperatures.
Additionally, the researchers found that forests emit chemicals called biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) which create aerosols that reflect incoming energy and form clouds and that deep roots, efficient water use and so-called canopy roughness also enable forests to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
