Trees do wonders when it comes to cooling Earth. They suck planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, locking it into their trunks, leaves, and roots to the tune of about 2.4 billion metric tons of carbon each year. But a new study has found, somewhat counterintuitively, that more trees might not always mean a cooler planet. In fact, researchers examining 260 years of changes in European forest management found that—despite a 10% increase in wooded land—the continent’s forests have actually caused a slight increase in regional temperatures since 1750.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/europe%E2%80%99s-trees-have-been-warming-planet
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/patrick-monahan
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/science
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/forests
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/europe
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/global-warming
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/pine
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/carbon-sinks
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ecosystems