During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team led from Lund University in Sweden has investigated how climate change affects recently burnt boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
"We found that climate change may reduce the ability of burnt forests to absorb carbon after a fire. Many of the old trees remain, but some of their important functions appear to be weakened," explains Johan Eckdahl, a physical geographer at Lund University. The boreal region, also known as the taiga, serves as an immense global carbon reservoir. Research shows that the boreal region may experience greatly reduced carbon storage capacity in the coming century due to climate change and increased wildfire activity, reducing its traditional role as an absorber of greenhouse gases.