Boreal forest fires reached record-high carbon dioxide emissions in 2021
In short: Researchers using a satellite-based atmospheric inversion system found that boreal forest fires contributed a record-high 23% of global fire-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2021. While these fires typically account for about 10% of global fire emissions, the 2021 season saw an unusual surge, releasing 0.48 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere.
This spike occurred because North American and Eurasian boreal forests experienced their greatest water deficit simultaneously. The study highlights how warming and drying trends are expanding fire seasons in one of Earth's most extensive biomes. However, the study focuses on a specific, abnormal year of synchronous water deficit, which may not represent typical annual patterns.
The findings underscore the growing challenge of climate-fire feedbacks, where increasing fire intensity complicates global mitigation efforts.
Why it matters: Extreme wildfires in boreal forests are becoming a significant and growing driver of global carbon emissions.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Zheng et al. (2023). Record-high CO 2 emissions from boreal fires in 2021. Science. · other-oa
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