2025-01-15 ノースカロライナ州立大学 (NC State)
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.ncsu.edu/2025/01/study-examines-how-climate-change-has-shaped-coastal-forests-over-the-last-decade/
- https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000444
沿岸の炭素センチネル：アメリカ東海岸における10年間の森林変化は、複雑な気候変動ダイナミクスを示唆している Coastal carbon sentinels: A decade of forest change along the eastern shore of the US signals complex climate change dynamics
Marcelo Ardón ,Kevin M. Potter,Elliott White Jr.,Christopher W. Woodall
PLOS Climate Published: January 9, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000444
Abstract
Increased frequency and intensity of storms, sea level rise, and warming temperatures are affecting forests along the eastern coast of the United States. However, we lack a clear understanding of how the structure of coastal forests is being altered by climate change drivers. Here, we used data from the Forest Inventory and Analyses program of the US Forest Service to examine structure and biomass change in forests along the mid-Atlantic, Southeastern, and Gulf coasts of the US. We selected plots that have been resampled at low (5 m) and mid (30–50 m) elevations in coastal areas of states from Texas to New Jersey, allowing us to determine change in live trees, standing dead wood, and downed dead wood biomass (and carbon) stocks across a decade at the county level. Forest area increased by 1.9% and 0.3% in low and mid elevation counties, respectively. Live tree biomass density increased by 13% and 16% in low mid elevation counties, respectively. Standing dead biomass decreased by 9.2% and 2.8% in low and mid elevation counties, respectively. Downed dead wood increased by 22% in low elevation counties and decreased 50% in mid elevation counties. Annualized growth and harvest were both higher (16% and 58% respectively) in mid elevation than low elevation counties, while annualized mortality was 25% higher in low elevation counties. Annualized growth in low elevation counties was negatively correlated to sea level rise rates, and positively correlated to number of storms, illustrating tradeoffs associated with different climate change drivers. Overall, our results illustrate the vulnerability of US coastal low and mid elevation forests to climate change and sea level rise, with indications that the complexity and rate of change in associated ecosystem functions (growth, mortality, and carbon storage) within the greater social environment (agricultural abandonment) may increase.
