European forests lose a third of their capacity to absorb CO₂ in just ten years.

European forests have lost nearly a third of their CO₂ absorption capacity in just ten years, jeopardizing the European Union's (EU) goal of achieving climate neutrality (the balance between greenhouse gas emissions and their removal from the atmosphere) by 2050, according to research led by the Joint Research Centre.
Forests are natural allies in the fight against climate change thanks to their ability to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and sequester it as carbon in trunks, leaves, roots, and soil.
They currently cover around 40% of the EU territory and, between 1990 and 2022, have absorbed around 10% of emissions from human activity , according to the research, published in the journal Nature and in which experts from CREAF and the CSIC participated.
However, according to the EU's LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change, Forestry) inventory, the forest carbon stock in Europe increased from 457 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent absorbed annually between 2010 and 2014 to 332 million tonnes of CO₂ between 2020 and 2022.
This amounts to "a reduction of almost a third in just one decade" and jeopardizes the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, which relies, among other things, on the LULUCF sector absorbing 310 million tons of CO₂ equivalent by 2030.
"Given the 10-year decline, this doesn't seem possible," the researchers warn.

The study identifies multiple causes, often interrelated, as the main causes of this reduction.
These include the intensification of timber harvesting due to growing demand for timber , and the increase in natural disturbances such as fires , storms and pests , which are often followed by premature felling to remove dead or burnt timber.
Other factors contributing to this decline include: the rate of forest expansion has slowed, there are fewer reforestations, the aging of existing forests reduces their capacity for growth and carbon absorption, and extreme episodes of heat and drought reduce photosynthesis and tree productivity.
These impacts can have persistent effects for years, weakening forests and exacerbating forest mortality and losses in carbon sequestration capacity, according to the research.
It can be reversedTo reverse this situation, the authors of the study propose a set of priority measures.
The first is to improve forest monitoring at the European level and ensure robust, continuous, and harmonized data on the state of forests, their health, and the different carbon compartments, including forest soils.
This knowledge, they emphasize, is essential for developing improved mathematical models, as well as effective policies and practical actions that will restore these carbon sinks and strengthen the resilience of forest ecosystems in the future.
At the same time, they advocate a profound transformation in the way European forests are managed , which, in their opinion, must go beyond producing timber.
"We must commit to sustainable and intelligent management that views forests as spaces that provide us with many more services, such as soil protection, water cycle regulation, and habitat for fauna and flora. Forests with more species and more diverse structures are more resilient to climate change," according to Josep Peñuelas, a CSIC researcher at CREAF.
This involves a balance between productive activities, such as logging, and the conservation of natural habitats, alternating areas designated for sustainable timber production with others reserved for strict conservation.
This diversification helps protect biodiversity and maintain carbon stored in different forest compartments, such as living wood, dead wood, and soil, according to experts.
Regarding reforestation, they warn that the areas where trees can be planted in the EU will need to be carefully defined, because the lack of water will significantly impact the future of these new forests . "This solution will only be valid in very specific locations and with more favorable climatic conditions," they warn. EFEverde
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