Brussels: Europe’s forests have been losing aboveground biomass at a sharply accelerated rate since 2018, reducing their ability to absorb carbon and raising concerns over the continent’s climate goals, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience, The Times of India reported.
Researchers from the Technical University of Munich found that forests across Europe have lost, on average, 46% more aboveground biomass per hectare each year since 2018 compared with the previous three decades.
The study, based on satellite observations covering the period from 1985 to 2023, identified 2018 as a turning point, with biomass losses increasing significantly, particularly in Central Europe.
Forest biomass is a key indicator of carbon storage. When trees are felled or die due to drought, pests, storms or wildfires, much of the stored carbon is eventually released into the atmosphere, weakening forests’ role as natural carbon sinks.
The researchers attributed the recent increase in biomass loss largely to climate-related disturbances. Repeated droughts have left trees under severe water stress, making them more vulnerable to bark beetle infestations that have caused widespread tree mortality across Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The study found that Central European forests, which contain some of the highest timber stocks in Europe, are particularly vulnerable because disturbances in these forests result in greater carbon losses per hectare than in regions with lower biomass.
While climate-related events have intensified in recent years, timber harvesting remained the largest overall cause of biomass loss during the 1985-2023 study period, accounting for 82% of total losses. Natural disturbances, including insects, storms and wildfires, contributed the remaining 18%.
However, the share of losses caused by natural disturbances has increased from 17% during 1985-2017 to 23% between 2018 and 2023, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on Europe’s forests.
The findings come as the European Union seeks to increase carbon removals from forests and land-use sectors to help meet its climate targets. The bloc aims to remove 310 million tonnes of COâ‚‚ equivalent annually by 2030, but declining forest health could make that goal more difficult to achieve.
The researchers said forests can recover through natural regeneration, but warned that more frequent droughts, heatwaves and pest outbreaks may slow recovery. They recommended greater use of climate-resilient tree species, improved forest management and continued satellite monitoring to strengthen the resilience of Europe’s forests under changing climatic conditions.
