The researchers pored through records charting the growth of Queensland's rainforests over almost 50 years.
They found that around the year 2000 they began emitting more carbon dioxide from the decay of dead trees than was being taken in and stored by growing trunks and branches.
Modelling showed the main cause was extreme temperatures linked to climate change, and its related effects on the moisture in the atmosphere and drought. Cyclones, which are expected to increase in intensity with climate change, also had an impact.
The findings are in line with some research on the Amazon that showed growing tree deaths weakening the forest's carbon storage capacity, said David Bauman, a research scientist at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and second author of the study.
"So in that sense our result is not surprising, but the timing... happened earlier than we expected and the effects of the likely climatic drivers (high temperature, drought) are stronger than we expected," he told AFP.
Kühlschrank - 2mon
We need a massive project the likes mankind has never seen to sequester carbon but instead we’re caught up in our culture wars
8
Hanrahan - 2mon
You'd need an industry about the size of the fossil fuel industry for that and no guarantees of success. If you fcuk it up, civilisation still ends and who knows what the unintended consequences are.
All of this to avoid riding a bicycle and not flying.
If people were seiois we'd be voting Greens, moving the Overton window and hearing from the truly radical politcans we need...alas we have Andrew Hastie being elected and the staus quo making everything worse.
4
Kühlschrank - 2mon
We absolutely should be riding bicycles and not flying, but it won't be enough anymore. We have already reached tipping points that will cause massive catastrophes. Soon, if we're not already there, natural carbon sinks will start failing and also contribute to increasing greenhouse gasses.
1
ikt - 2mon
does this mean we should start clearing out old forest growth for biofuels or something
1
Lorax @feddit.uk - 2mon
Definitely not! That would make things soo much worse. Expanding the protection areas and allowing for new growth and encouraging the biodiversity. The environmental impact of forests isn't limited to carbon. They impact water cycles and ground temperatures as well.
Eyekaytee in environment
Australian rainforests no longer a carbon sink: study
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20251016-australian-rainforests-no-longer-a-carbon-sink-studyThe researchers pored through records charting the growth of Queensland's rainforests over almost 50 years.
They found that around the year 2000 they began emitting more carbon dioxide from the decay of dead trees than was being taken in and stored by growing trunks and branches.
Modelling showed the main cause was extreme temperatures linked to climate change, and its related effects on the moisture in the atmosphere and drought. Cyclones, which are expected to increase in intensity with climate change, also had an impact.
The findings are in line with some research on the Amazon that showed growing tree deaths weakening the forest's carbon storage capacity, said David Bauman, a research scientist at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and second author of the study.
"So in that sense our result is not surprising, but the timing... happened earlier than we expected and the effects of the likely climatic drivers (high temperature, drought) are stronger than we expected," he told AFP.
We need a massive project the likes mankind has never seen to sequester carbon but instead we’re caught up in our culture wars
You'd need an industry about the size of the fossil fuel industry for that and no guarantees of success. If you fcuk it up, civilisation still ends and who knows what the unintended consequences are.
All of this to avoid riding a bicycle and not flying.
If people were seiois we'd be voting Greens, moving the Overton window and hearing from the truly radical politcans we need...alas we have Andrew Hastie being elected and the staus quo making everything worse.
We absolutely should be riding bicycles and not flying, but it won't be enough anymore. We have already reached tipping points that will cause massive catastrophes. Soon, if we're not already there, natural carbon sinks will start failing and also contribute to increasing greenhouse gasses.
does this mean we should start clearing out old forest growth for biofuels or something
Definitely not! That would make things soo much worse. Expanding the protection areas and allowing for new growth and encouraging the biodiversity. The environmental impact of forests isn't limited to carbon. They impact water cycles and ground temperatures as well.