Warming winters weaken New Hampshire forest's carbon sink over 20 years
Can we count on forests to continue absorbing the carbon dioxide that's warming our world? A new study from researchers at NAU and the University of New Hampshire says ... maybe not.
A new study reveals that temperate forests in New Hampshire may no longer serve as effective carbon sinks due to warming winters weakening their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Over a 20-year period from 2004 to 2023, researchers found that the carbon sink strength of a mature forest in the region declined substantially. While temperate forests have historically helped slow climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the study discovered that the forest absorbed less carbon each year, with several recent years even turning into net carbon sources.
This decline was primarily caused by increased carbon release from ecosystem respiration, driven by warmer winter temperatures stimulating biological activity. The study, published in Global Change Biology Communications, underscores the importance of sustained long-term ecological research to detect gradual but consequential changes in forest health and productivity.
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