Now Reading: Europe’s Forest Biomass Loss Rises 46% Since 2018
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Europe’s Forest Biomass Loss Rises 46% Since 2018
Europe’s forests have lost 46% more aboveground biomass per hectare each year since 2018 than in the previous three decades, according to a satellite-based study published in Nature Geoscience. Researchers from the…
The Story in Brief
Europe’s forests have lost 46% more aboveground biomass per hectare each year since 2018 than in the previous three decades, according to a satellite-based study published in Nature Geoscience. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich analysed forest changes from 1985 to 2023, finding a sharp rise in damage after 2018.
Drought weakened trees across Central Europe, allowing bark beetles to spread, while storms and wildfires added to losses. Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland were badly affected. Forest management, including timber harvesting, caused 82% of biomass loss over the full study period, but natural disturbances rose from 17% before 2018 to 23% thereafter. Germany’s disturbed forests release about 230 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare annually.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that climate change alone is destroying Europe’s forests. The opposite claim, that logging explains everything, is also incomplete. The study assigns most long-term biomass loss to forest management, while drought and beetles are driving the recent increase. That distinction matters for climate targets and forestry policy. Future satellite measurements should show whether natural disturbances keep rising above the 23% recorded from 2018 to 2023.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
