Trees Expanding To New Areas In Response To Warming

BBC :

Trees around the world are colonising new territories in response to higher temperatures.

From the US west coast to northern Siberia and south-east Asia, trees are growing at higher elevations, and at higher latitudes as the climate warms.

Read the whole story: BBC

Comments

[Richard2]

The BBC doesn't mention the obvious possibility that the trees are also advancing because there is simply more CO2 available to them, which allows them to grow stronger and taller. Recent research indicates that certain pine trees grow much faster in atmospheres with higher CO2 than our current atmosphere has.

The BBC article doesn't mention in its examples whether at these locations there is any evidence of ancient tree lines even higher up the mountain, which would suggest warmer or more CO2 rich atmospheres in the past in these mountain locations.

[guinganbresil]

Gird your loins. Increasing biomass in response to increasing CO2 (and/or T) is a NEGATIVE feedback.

[Tyler-Durden]

don't worry. we'll be cuttin' them trees down right quick. can't have no trees 'round here on this planet!

get 'em!

[Tulka2]

The planet always struggles for balance. It looks almost sentient, doesn't it? If only we could be good gardeners and try to steady the balance... we might just make it back to the garden.

(Arthur C. Clark thought in our origin stories lie our best endings.)

May all beings be happy; may all beings have cause to be happy.

[rblackbird]

Absurdity remains the coin of the global warming realm. Click on the link to the original article. You will see further links in the margin to several articles the site published in the past year. They assert that global warming deteriorates our forests. Topics include global warming as the cause of the disappearance of large trees in Yosemite and Lebanon. Once article says that gw is causing forests to lose their "key role."

The conclusion one can take from these articles is that global warming causes the deterioration of forests, except when gw causes forests to expand.

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

Yes that is right, it is global Warming, so glaciers can only retreat, thermometers can only go up, and there is no room for variability in any of the environments. Global means Global and local conditions have little if any factors to play. It is a straight forward system with few, if any, dependent variables.

[guinganbresil]

I have seen 'negative' thermometers in a puplished GW paper!

The authors applied a negative correction factor to a trend (i.e made it go up when it should go down or v.v.)

[CornelRedneck]

Great! We need a good, old-fashioned Ice Age settling in!

[graffitijoe]

Good! More firewood.

[Absintheforall]

Some people are simply chronic worrywarts!

Hey dims, this is GOOD news!

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

more trees is good news, more confirmation that global warming is occurring not such good news.

Of course the hardiness zones already tell this story

http://www.arborday.org/media/mapchanges.cfm

[GhostwriterDoF]

I could use some assistance, my fellow HuffPost-ers. Can someone provide links or reference resources for the most current research in Marine Biology, specifically related to ocean bacteria (regional and global studies), especially regarding any newly discovered types/species?

I can't differentiate between the possible corporate sponsored, manufactured scientific sales pitch swill from any of the authentic, reality based data by just doing web searches. I need accurate data. Thanks in advance.

[Absintheforall]

Do your own research!

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

How dare he ask for some direction!

[CrittersRTasty]

Oh, GREAT!! Those new trees are sure to use up all the CO2 in the atmosphere resulting in global cooling and a new ice age!!
WE'RE ALL GONNA FREEZE!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

[Jaywalkker]

Deserts are being affected too.

China reports a loss of 3k sq miles of its deserts.
http://www.physorg.com/news68550548.html

The Sahel region of the Sahara is particularly nasty but other parts show retreat and greening.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2811-africas-deserts-are-in-spectacular-retreat.html

Granted, naysayers who say the greening of deserts are signs of lack of climate change, be aware that because forests have a lower albedo, not as much sunlight (energy) is being reflected back into space.

[blisster]

You see the trees believe in the Giant Redwood "God" in the sky. Patiently growing, waiting...­., for it to smite the human race down. Man, botanical nutrients.

[Kruddler]

The Triffids are coming....­.

[JanBjernfalk]

I wonder if these researchers considered the possibility that the increase in trees could be more due to the increase in CO2 rather than temperature?

Percentage-wise, the recent relative increase in CO2 (~30%) has been a whole lot more than the increase in temperatures (~0.003% in degrees K). OK, that's a bit apples & oranges, but I hope you get my drift.

Just asking ...

[fumes]

''..the recent relative increase in CO2 (~30%)''

that's 30% of the .038% trace CO2 now in the atmosphere­..

boo!

[JanBjernfalk]

Eeek!

Ummm ... you can FEEL it when you fly these days. You know, more turbulence caused by more CO2! That extra 0.011% of CO2 ...

lol

[tjconkster]

This is great news! Look at all the new logging opportunities! More lumber, more pulp, more profits!!!

Who says denial of global warming doesn't work!

Yes, I am trying to make light of a tragic situation. Here in the mountain west we're watching the bark beetle kill our firs and pines. The dead trees adding to the fuel load that is waiting to feed the next wildfire. Not to mention the other insects that are moving to higher elevations. I mean come on, getting bit by mosquitoes at altitude? That really sucks!!

[Colorado Bobby]

Just think of all the extra TV shows too:

Mud Road Truckers
The Deadliest Log
Extreme Sawdust
Logging in the Sahara
Pining away in Arabia

The possibilities are unending..­.

[Absintheforall]

LOL!

[topgunna]

Who would have thunk it? Tree growth is evidence of environmental destruction.

Better "go green" now to prevent this.... greening?

[fumes]

witness the beautiful balance of nature..

missing in all those gloom and doom climate models!

[wadenelson1]

What are you saying?

You think we shouldn't bother to try and slow the increase of man-made C02 in the atmosphere and instead just trust Mother Nature to deal with the problem?

She will, but you may not like her methods.

[fumes]

and what are you saying?

r u scared?

[Kruddler]

Mother Nature is dealing with the problem; she's growin' more trees! So much cheaper than cap-and-trade.

[JadeRain]

Not missing at all: the point of the gloom and doom models is humans are out of balance because of the benefits of technology, living longer and thwarting "the balance of nature" faster than it can recoup.
Nice try, though.

[fumes]

it's only .012% of the atmosphere­..

.012%... that's the CO2 in the atmosphere that's ostensibly destroying the planet..

.012% is keeling us dontcha know!!!

roflmao..

[GuyRC]

who says that sequestration isn't a factor in climate models?