Global Warming

Europe’s shift to dark green forests stokes global warming: study

An expansion of Europe’s forests toward dark green conifers has stoked global warming, according to a study on Thursday at odds with a widespread view that planting more trees helps human efforts to slow rising temperatures.

Forest changes have nudged Europe’s summer temperatures up by 0.12 degree (0.2 F) since 1750, largely because many nations have planted conifers such as pines and spruce whose dark colours trap the sun’s heat, the scientists said.

Lighter-Coloured broad-leafed trees, such as oak or birch, reflect more sunlight back into space but have lost ground to fast-growing conifers, used for everything from building materials to pulp.

Overall, the area of Europe’s forests has expanded by 10 percent since 1750. Conifer forests expanded by 633,000 sq. km, while broad-leaved forests shrank by 436,000 sq. km. Over the period, Europeans have harvested ever more wood from the forests, reducing their role in storing carbon.