Climate change: 'Shocking' rate of global tree loss from fire

 

A new report says that about 16 football trees per minute were destroyed in forest fires in 2021.

Worldwide, the amount of trees burned has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, data from Global Forest Watch shows

Climate change is a major factor in growth as it leads to higher temperatures and drier conditions

Of the 9 million hectares of trees consumed by fire in 2021, more than 50 million were in Russian

World leaders meet in an effort to protect the sea

Why Drought Can Cause Dangerous Flooding

Drought exposes dangers to power supplies

The new data allows researchers to distinguish between trees lost in fires and those destroyed during agriculture, logging or intentional burning. In 2021, the second-worst year for fires on record, an area the size of Portugal was lost.

"It's staggering," says James McCarthy, an analyst at Global Forest Watco.

"That's almost twice what it was 20 years ago. It's amazing how much fire activity has increased in such a short period of time."

The effects of fire-related damage are being felt primarily in the forests of more northern countries such as Canada and Russia.

While fires are a natural part of the long working hours of these forests, the scale of destruction seen in Russia in 2021 was unprecedented.

Of the 9.3 million hectares (23 million acres) burned globally, Russia accounts for more than Halo.

"What is most worrying is that fires are becoming more frequent, more severe and have the potential to unlock the carbon stored in the soil," said James McCarth.

Trees and soil store carbon dioxide – one of the major gases warming our atmosphere – and experts say they are critical in tackling climate change

Climate change is seen as a major driver of these fires, with rising temperatures leading to drought conditions in which more trees are burned.

The northern regions of the world are warming rapidly, prolonging the fire season.

In Russia, the 31% increase in fire losses in 2021 was due to prolonged heatwaves, which experts believe would have been practically impossible without human-induced warming.

"Climate change is increasing the risk of hot, fast and large fires," said Dr. Doug Morton, head of the Biospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA.

"And nowhere is this more visible than in forests and woodlands where you have a lot of fuel to burn."

In other parts of the world, the effects of deforestation are causing even more fires.

In the Brazilian Amazon, which recently saw the number of fallen trees hit a six-year high, the damage caused by agricultural clearing and logging is having an impact.

"Deforestation alters local and regional climates and removes a lot of evaporation that helps keep temperatures lower and more humid," said James McCarthy.

"So cutting down these forests is actually making them hotter and drier, and making them more likely to catch fire."

While many trees that are burned will grow back over a period of 100 years or more, these losses have significant associated effects on biodiversity, water quality and soil erosion.

The United Nations says the potential for wildfires in the coming decades is dire. Major fires are expected to increase by 50% by the end of this century.

To address this problem, scientists say that rapid and deep reductions in global carbon emissions are important.

At COP26, the climate change conference in Glasgow last year, global leaders pledged to end deforestation, but the promise must be honored if it makes a difference.

According to Mr. McCarthy, more attention needs to be paid to preventing wildfires than to fighting them

“About 50% of the national fire budget is for responding to fires and less than 1% is for actually preparing and planning,” he says.