Trees are getting Shorter! Know the Reason!

Ongoing environmental changes are transforming the forests worldwide. The trees' size is decreasing over the last century. Some activities like cutting trees, wildfires, drought etc are increasing carbon dioxide in atmosphere.

Our future forests will be very different from our past forests. Older forest often hold much bio-diversity than younger forests and they store more CO 2 than younger forests. These bio-diversity is responsible for mitigating climate change.

Over the last 100 years, we have lost lots of old forests and they have been replaced by young forests and non-forest areas.

Biotic deforestation disturbances by insects, fungi are also rising. The carbon storage lost each year by insects is same as carbon emits by 5 million vehicles.

Wild fires are also increasing day to day and future fires will be more frequent that they have been in the past 10000 years.

What will be wide ranging impacts of this change?

Higher level of carbon dioxide increase trees' growth rate and seed production. such carbon dioxide fertilization will happen when abundant nutrients and water are present but most forests around the world are getting very less nutrients and water which drastically reduce the carbon dioxide benefits to trees.

Rising temperature limits life-giving photosynthesis which leads to low growth and increases high mortality of trees.

Drought can directly cause to trees' death.

Environmental changes are making disturbances worse and this is changing the stature of trees worldwide.