Coastal Forest Becomes Carbon Source as ‘Ghost Forest’ Spreads
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the U.S. Forest Service’s Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center are tracking natural and managed forests near the coast to see how the forests respond to changing climate conditions. The research is covered in an ongoing NC State News series about how sea level rise impacts people and environments.
In a study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, the researchers, including lead author Maricar Aguilos at NC State, reported that trees in North Carolina coastal forests were dying at an increasing rate. In 2009, they found about one and a half dead trees per acre; that increased to more than six per acre by 2017. The researchers believe the dying trees are a contributing factor to one of their key findings: the forest had become a net source of carbon. Their findings suggest the forest is both a casualty of climate change, and a contributor.
An earlier entry in the NC State series covered additional aspects of the group's research on coastal forests, climate change, and water.
“We need long-term studies to better understand the carbon and water processes in forests so we can figure out how to properly manage our wetland resources,” said study collaborator and director of EFETAC, Ge Sun.
Read the full story from NC State University News
Read the full research article in Treesearch
