In a world filled with heat waves, forests are keeping it cool

The shade of a tree can offer instant relief from the heat. But how much can forests buffer scorching temperatures during an extreme heat wave? A lot, according to a new study.?

We’ve known for a long time that forests are one of humanity’s best allies to keep climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere and fight climate change. A study from Conservation International scientist’s provides even more evidence that they can help keep our planet cool, even with brutal heat waves.

As heat waves become increasingly common, forests everywhere can provide relief from extreme temperatures, not only for wildlife and plants living within them, but also for people. This is critical, as studies show extreme heat poses dangerous threats to human health.

Researchers measured temperatures in three locations in a Washington state forest: a clear-cut area, an area that had been thinned for restoration, and an area dense with trees.?

They found that thinned forests were cooler than clear-cut areas by 2 degrees Celsius.?

And when compared to regional temperature data, the ground temperature in the dense forest was 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler.

While the findings provide new insights, there’s still much we don’t know about the effects of extreme heat on forests. For example, how often can forests be hit by heat waves without experiencing extensive damage? And will heat stress hinder their ability to buffer heat?

Whether repeated extreme heat waves will have a lasting effect on forests is an open question. They are difficult to predict, which makes them difficult to study, but we know climate change will make them more frequent and intense, so it’s essential we understand the connection between forests and extreme heat.

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