British Columbia, Canada, during the 2023 wildfire season
David J. Mitchell/Shutterstock
Extreme heat, drought and wildfires have caused forests and other land ecosystems to emit almost as much carbon dioxide as they removed from the atmosphere in 2023, nearly wiping out a major natural sink of greenhouse gases.
The researchers say the temporary decline in this sink, which removes about a quarter of annual carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, bodes ill for how these ecosystems will respond to future climate change.
“It’s pretty tragic.”
Source: www.newscientist.com
