The boreal region is a vast expanse of coniferous forests that surrounds the northern hemisphere, taking in parts of Scandinavia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Alaska, and Canada, among other countries. Forest fires in these areas are of particular concern because they can lead to the release of carbon buried deep in the soil, as well as the loss of the trees themselves. Trees in boreal forests take up to a century to regrow. About 70 percent of the total loss of tree cover due to fire over the past 20 years has occurred in boreal forests, with about 80 million hectares lost between 2001 and 2021, according to research published Wednesday by Global Forest Watch, an initiative of World Resources Institute. Russia has lost about 53 million hectares of tree cover to fire since 2001, an area roughly the size of France. Canada lost about 27 million hectares to fires in the same period. James MacCarthy, an analyst at the World Resources Institute and co-author of the report, told the Guardian: “This is very worrying. These findings should be a wake-up call to the world. Forests are our best line of defense against climate change and should be at the top of our list [of priorities].” He said carbon released into the atmosphere by forest fires creates a vicious cycle of climate damage. “These forests can be transformed from carbon sinks to carbon sources in the atmosphere,” he said. But the boreal forest is rapidly warming and drying, making it more prone to catch fire. Heat waves have hit northern Canada and Siberia in recent years, and the Arctic has warmed much faster than the rest of the planet. About a third to 40% of boreal forest fires are believed to be started naturally by lightning, but the other main source of fires that are started is humans. Fires started by farmers for agriculture can quickly spread to forests, particularly in Russia where controls are minimal and enforcement is non-existent. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Fires are responsible for about a quarter of the loss of tree cover worldwide, with most of the rest taken up by deforestation for agriculture and logging. But the amount of forest lost to fires is increasing, accounting for about 30% of tree cover loss in 2021. The amount of tree cover loss due to fire worldwide is increasing by about 4% per year, or about 230,000 additional hectares each year, about half of which is due to larger fires in northern regions. Tree loss due to fire is also increasing in the tropics, however, by about 5% per year or 36,000 additional hectares. Almost all fires in the tropics are caused by humans. In the 10-year study period, the US lost about 12 million hectares of trees to fire, and Brazil lost about 9.5 million hectares, accounting for about 15% of the total tree cover lost in Brazil during that period. About two-thirds of fire-related losses occurred in primary forests, which are vital not only for climate but also for biodiversity. About 72% of tree cover loss in Australia between 2001 and 2021 was caused by fire, with extreme weather causing a significant increase in fires in 2019 and 2020. The amount of tree cover lost to fire worldwide each year has increased by around 3 million hectares since 2001, equivalent to an additional area the size of Belgium lost to fire each year, compared to a decade ago. Last year’s fire season was the worst on record. Forest fires are responsible for the loss of an area of trees roughly the size of Thailand, equivalent to about 16 football fields per minute going up in flames. This year’s fires, with record-breaking heat in Europe, parts of the US, southern Asia, parts of China and elsewhere around the world, are also likely to be fierce. An area one-fifth the size of Belgium has burned in Europe this year. Separate research also recently showed that the boreal forest is expanding northward into areas that were previously Arctic tundra. Our knowledge of tree cover loss has improved significantly over the past decade, with satellite imagery giving a much more detailed picture of what’s happening below the tree canopy.
