Climate change could get worse because insects like termites eat more dead forests and release more carbon into the air as temperatures rise, the study says
- Rotting wood eaten by termites and hardwood beetles increases carbon levels in the atmosphere and makes climate change worse
- These insects cause 29% of carbon from deadwood each year, but it was higher in areas like the tropics
- Tropical forests account for 93% of the total carbon released by deadwood
- Rotting wood releases over 10 gigatons of carbon each year, or 115% of carbon emissions from fossil fuels
Climate change could intensify if insects like termites and hardwood beetles eat dead forests, releasing “over 10 gigatons of carbon” into the atmosphere every year, according to a new study.
Researchers at Griffith University in Australia and Australian National University said these insect species are responsible for 29 percent of the carbon from deadwood each year, but it was higher in areas like the tropics, where temperatures are warmer.
Rotting wood releases over 10 gigatons of carbon, or 115 percent of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, each year, said Dr. Marisa Stone in a statement.
Rotting wood eaten by termites and hardwood beetles increases carbon levels in the atmosphere and makes climate change worse
These insects (longicorn beetles, pictured) cause 29% of carbon from deadwood every year, but it was higher in areas like the tropics
For their results, the researchers examined more than 140 tree species in 55 forest areas on six continents.
They placed half of the dead wood in mesh cages to keep the insects out, to determine the degree of putrefaction they were adding, and found that it “is highly climatic and will increase with increasing temperatures,” David Lindenmayer, Co -Author of the study from the Australian University said.
“Higher rainfall accelerates decomposition in warmer regions and slows it down in regions with lower temperatures.”
Tropical forests contribute 93 percent of all carbon released via deadwood because they are high in mass and rapidly decomposing.
If insects increase in population and are at risk of destroying crops in North America and Europe as temperatures rise, there is a possibility that additional carbon will be released into the atmosphere.
“We also knew that the decomposition of deadwood could not happen without wood-boring insects like termites and wood-boring hardwood beetles,” added Stone.
Researchers placed half of the dead wood in mesh cages to keep the insects out, to determine the degree of decay they add, and found that it “is highly climatic and will increase as temperatures rise”.
“But what we didn’t know was how much they can accelerate decomposition and how much they contribute to carbon release around the world.”
Study co-author Kurt Nisbet is concerned that the effects could be catastrophic as there is a “far greater” amount of carbon in deadwood, especially in cooler climates, than is released each year.
“These estimates are the first step in predicting the role of deadwood in the carbon cycle,” added Nisbet.
Rotting wood releases over 10 gigatons of carbon each year, or 115% of carbon emissions from fossil fuels
The study’s lead author, Dr. Sebastian Seibold said the study highlights that climate change and the loss of insects have the potential to alter the way wood decomposes, and thus the carbon and nutrient cycles around the world.
“We have long known that living trees take up and absorb carbon from the atmosphere,” added Stone.
“But until now, little was known about the role of dead trees in the carbon cycle.”
The research was published in the journal Nature earlier this week.
MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has four main goals in terms of reducing emissions:
1) A long-term goal of keeping the global average temperature rise to well below 2 ° C above pre-industrial levels
2) Aim to limit the rise to 1.5 ° C as this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change
3) Governments agreed that global emissions must peak as quickly as possible as it will take longer for developing countries
4) Then make rapid reductions in accordance with the best available scientific evidence
Source: European Commission
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