Boreal ecology

Wise management of ecosystem services merits considering their changes over time, but current practices are based on static maps. A new study highlights the importance of studying forest ecosystem service dynamics.

The Arctic stores vast amounts of soil carbon, much of which is likely to be lost to the atmosphere as the climate warms. A clever new analytical approach suggests that even carbon that has been stored for hundreds to thousands of years is vulnerable to warming.

Boreal forest fires tend to be more intense and lethal in North America than Eurasia. Differences in tree species composition explain these differences in fire regime, and lead to contrasting feedbacks to climate.