Climate change threatens beech forests: Göttingen study raises the alarm!
Climate change threatens beech forests: Göttingen study raises the alarm!
Ebergötzen, Deutschland - A research team of the University of Göttingen has examined the influence of climate change on the rainy distribution in beech forests. The study, which was carried out in a forest near Eberschöten over a period of seven years, shows alarming results. 30 rain sensors and collective devices for leaves were installed to collect precise data on precipitation.
The examination showed an annual decline in the proportion of the rain that reaches the ground by 5.75 percent. In addition, the models suggest that the precipitation distribution in Europe becomes increasingly variable. In particular, it is expected that the amount of rain is decreasing and the duration of individual regulations becomes shorter, but at the same time there is an increase in the intensity of these events. These changes lead to decoupling the water movements in the forest ecosystem.
effects on beech growth
Another study on the beech forests in Europe, which has published Science.de , underlines that climate change significantly impairs the growth of the beech (Fagus Sylvatica), especially in southern Europe. The growth rate has decreased by up to 20 % there in the past 60 years. Forecasts indicate that this decline will continue to increase in the coming decades. Although there are slight growth in Northern Europe, they cannot compensate for the losses in the south.
The beech is not only the most common leaf tree species in Germany, it also plays a central role in the carbon cycle and is crucial for CO2 reduction in European forests. A decline in the CO2 recording endangers the buffer effect of the forests in the climate system. Experts therefore urgently call for measures to adapt the forests to climate change in order to avoid serious ecological and economic consequences.
regional differences and resilience
The report of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (DetailsOrt Ebergötzen, Deutschland Quellen
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