Boreal Forests At Precipice; Siberian Regions Could See 11C Warming, All Regions Massive Fires
Climate change is forcing the boreal forest that covers much of northern Canada to a tipping point, concludes a newly published study. "The changes could be very dramatic and very fast," said Dmitry Schepaschenko of Austria's Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
Schepaschenko was one of three authors who collaborated on a detailed review of current research on the boreal forest. Their conclusions were released Thursday in a special edition of the journal Science. One of the authors is from Natural Resources Canada, but was unable to speak on the record because of restrictions placed on public servants during the federal election.
The boreal forest is one of the largest ecological zones on the planet. It covers much of northern Canada and extends into Scandinavia and northern Russia. Although it remains largely intact, it faces the most severe expected temperature increases anywhere on Earth. Schepaschenko said some parts of Siberia are likely to eventually become 11 C warmer.
That will bring greater precipitation, but not enough to compensate for the dryness caused by hotter weather. A drier boreal will suffer new diseases, insect infestations and vast wildfires.
EDIT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/boreal-forest-being-driven-to-tipping-point-by-climate-change-study-finds-1.3198892
= new reply since forum marked as read
