The project of scientists of KSC SB RAS is recognized by the Russian Science Foundation as one of the best projects in 2019
10 April 2020 г.

Scientists have found out how climate change and related disasters will affect the forests of the taiga zone of Eurasia. This makes it possible to correctly predict global changes in the biosphere of the Earth. Climate change will lead to an increase in the number of forest fires, which will directly affect permafrost and ultimately contribute to even a greater increase in temperature on the Earth. Until recently, it was not clear how much time it takes to restore forest ecosystems after a fire. The researchers have developed an original approach using tree rings to reconstruct the sequence of events which occur after a fire with forest ecosystems in the zone of continuous permafrost in Siberia. It turns out that the process of post-fire restoration of forest and forest-bog ecosystems of the northern taiga in Siberia can take from several tens of years to a century. The scientists have found that the lifespan of trees is connected with their growth rate. It has been shown that even if the increase in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere enhances the growth of northern and alpine forests, trees will not be able to store more carbon for a long time and hinder global warming. In this regard, it is necessary to look for other ways to mitigate the impact of human activities on climate.
The research is conducted in collaboration with scientists from the University of Cambridge (UK) and the Swiss Federal Institute for the Forest, Snow and Landscape Research. The results are published in the journals Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Research Letters, and others.
Share: