Extreme Events in Forests Can Disrupt the Global Carbon Cycle, Study Shows

Forest fires are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can affect millions of hectares of land, destroy thousands of homes, and kill hundreds of people and animals every year.

But beyond the local and regional impacts, forest fires can also have far-reaching effects on the global climate, biodiversity, and human health.

Forest Fires and Climate Change: A Vicious Cycle

(Photo : ROGERIO FLORENTINO/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the main global impacts of forest fires is their contribution to climate change.

Forest fires release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which trap heat and warm the planet.

According to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, 19.8 million acres of burned forest land or 37% of the total area scorched by forest fires in the western United States and southwestern Canada since 1986 can be attributed to heat-trapping emissions traced to the world's 88 largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers.

Climate change, in turn, can increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of forest fires by creating hotter and drier conditions, extending the fire season, and increasing the availability of fuel.

A study published in the Journal of Soils and Sediments found that forest fire research has been rapidly growing over the last 20 years, with the number of relevant articles generally increasing yearly at an average annual growth rate of about 22.45%.

The study also identified climate change as one of the main factors driving forest fire occurrence and severity.

The relationship between forest fires and climate change is therefore a vicious cycle, where each one exacerbates the other.

To break this cycle, it is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and other sources, as well as to enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems to fire and other disturbances.

Also Read: Prime Minister Mitsotakis Estimates Over 150,000 Hectares Burned by Greek Wildfires

Forest Fires and Biodiversity Loss: A Threat to Life

Another global impact of forest fires is their effect on biodiversity, which is the variety of life on Earth.

Forests are home to more than 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, providing habitat, food, and shelter for countless species of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Forest fires can destroy or degrade these habitats, reducing the diversity and abundance of species, and disrupting the ecological processes and functions that they support.

Some species are more vulnerable to forest fires than others, depending on their traits, adaptations, and interactions.

For example, some species have thick bark, deep roots, or fire-resistant seeds that help them survive or regenerate after a fire.

Other species, such as birds, insects, or mammals, can escape or migrate to safer areas. However, some species are highly specialized, endemic, or rare, and may not have the ability or opportunity to cope with fire.

These species may face local extinction or even global extinction if their habitats are completely destroyed.

Forest fires can also affect the genetic diversity of species, which is the variation of genes within and among populations.

Genetic diversity is important for the evolution and adaptation of species, as well as for their resistance and resilience to environmental changes and stresses.

Forest fires can reduce genetic diversity by killing individuals, isolating populations, or altering gene flow. This can reduce the fitness and survival of species, and increase the risk of inbreeding, genetic drift, or loss of adaptive potential.

To conserve biodiversity and protect the life-supporting services that forests provide, it is crucial to prevent and control forest fires, as well as to restore and manage forest habitats.

This can be done by implementing effective fire management strategies, such as prescribed burning, fuel reduction, fire suppression, and fire monitoring.

It can also be done by promoting sustainable forest use, such as reducing deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation, and enhancing forest restoration, conservation, and governance.

Related article: Europe's Destructive Wildfires Equivalent to One-Fifth of Belgium in Size