Trees turn carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuel into oxygen we breathe. Moreover, they store the carbon by-product in their trunks and branches. And when they die, their decomposition releases this carbon back into the air, if their remains are still on the surface. We are discovering that climate change and trees are also deeply intertwined too.
The Relationship between Climate Change and Trees in Europe
Europe has a memorable history of fine, hardwood trees. These grew slowly but steadily in the moderate climate, and had near-perfect resistance to insects and disease. The people once used the wood to fashion farm implements and the frames of houses. Later, they formed fine ships from the timber enabling them to trade and prosper.
Fast forward to the future, where climate change and trees are no longer in harmony. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says many native tree species are at risk. Their report says 42% native to the continent face extinction, while 58% of those growing nowhere else are under threat. Is climate change causing this, or is it something else?
This Time, the Relationship is Less Direct
We know that warming is causing longer growing cycles, more voracious insects, and invader airborne diseases. However, this time the direct cause is human effort. Yes, that’s the same effort filling our atmosphere with carbon dioxide.
The IUCN report blames “competition from invasive plants, deforestation, unsustainable logging, changes in land use, and forest fires”.
Trees do more than sustain our lives by creating oxygen we breathe. They also provide shelter for countless animal species such as birds and squirrels, and play a key economic role, the report adds.
Horse chestnut trees may soon be gone forever in Europe, lost in the battle between climate change and trees. Countless generations of children have played ‘conkers’ with their seeds. Who would have thought those apparently indestructible lumps of life could vanish too, and in our lifetimes.
Related
How Climate Affects Trees Could be Deadly
Look What We Are Doing to Trees, Our Friends
Preview Image: Horse Chestnut Trees Dying from Pests
