Forests have always been some of the biggest carbon stores in the world, which is a crucial process for keeping carbon emissions low. But for the first time recently, due to a variety of factors, Colorado’s forests aren’t able to store as much carbon as is released. This means there is more carbon being released from the trees than ever before.
Colorado’s Forests
Researchers have recently discovered that Colorado’s forests have started to become huge sources of carbon. Approximately 22.8 million acres of forests are now releasing carbon due to insect infestations, wildfires, and drought. There is a net positive of the carbon emitted from the forests.
Insects And Diseases
The biggest culprits behind tree mortality are insects and disease and around 85% of the loss of trees are due to these factors. The rampant disturbances in these forests all contribute to the carbon emissions that are now recorded from the forests.
The Loss Of Carbon
Colorado’s forests have suffered greatly in the last 20 years. Between 2002 and 2019, they suffered the largest loss of aboveground stored carbon. The dying trees are now outpacing the carbon stored by young, healthy trees that are growing and contributing to carbon storage.
Wildfires And Drought
With increased drought, wildfires are happening more often and spreading further. The wildfires negatively affect the forests in two ways. They spread through the forests, burning the trees and stopping them from being able to store carbon. The wildfire also releases a lot of stored carbon into the air.
An Important Job
Colorado’s trees have had an important job in fighting against the effects of climate change by storing huge amounts of carbon. But with the trees now suffering losses, an imbalance has been created in the ecosystem that can’t be easily fixed.
Potential Solutions
Fortunately, there are projects that could help combat the problems that Colorado’s forests are facing. Selective logging could leave healthy tree while clearing ones that are more susceptible to wildfires. Selective burning would lower the chance of a real wildfire spreading out of control in a drought, and research methods could lead to inoculation against harmful insects and diseases.
Justifying Conservation
Showcasing how valuable the Colorado forest ecosystem can be to the region and the overall planet could justify conservation projects to protect and watch over them, ensuring that carbon emissions can be mitigated and carbon stores can slowly recover.
A Trend That Will Only Continue
With recent wildfires, Tony Vorster, a lead author of the study at the University of Florida, expects the carbon emissions from the forests to only get worse over time. It is a trend that will continue, but he also stated that he’s only after long-term results.
A Cycle
Vorster said, “It’s natural for forests to cycle through times where they are carbon sinks and then carbon sources. We’re interested in long-term trends.” However, proactively solving this issue should be done rather than waiting.
Future Projections
Colorado’s forests have followed a concerning trend over the last 20 years, and if they stick to this, then in just five years, they could become a large carbon emitter. Action is necessary to try to reverse the trends and restore balance to the ecosystem.
Reforestation
Many see reforestation efforts as a way of improving the carbon store, but this may not be as simple as planting new trees. Before that can happen, issues such as soil health and biodiversity loss should come first. If trees are replanted, they also have the potential to become carbon emitters through wildfires and disease.
Urgency Is Needed
As the decaying trees of Colorado’s forests slowly release carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change, urgency is needed to try and mitigate this problem before it gets out of hand. Only time will tell what will happen to the forests, but with creative and innovative management, there’s a chance to recover Colorado’s forests back to a carbon sink.
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