Climate Change and Forest Dynamics: A Soils Perspective

Abstract

Increasing temperatures have been recorded around the world, leading to changes in precipitation, sea-level rise and extreme events. Climate models are currently in use to simulate the effects of these changes on vegetation cover, which is a strong indicator of ecosystem changes in response to various drivers. Climate change, as well as anthropogenic stressors, is affecting forest dieback and tree-species migration. This chapter addresses the connections between changes in various forest types and the global soil carbon, nitrogen and hydrologic cycles, and related feedbacks between these factors and both natural and anthropogenic environmental changes. We discuss the ways these feedbacks between land use, vegetation changes and global nutrient and water cycles can lead to further climate change and soil degradation, which have profound effects on food security, and we conclude by proposing the use of soil characteristics as tools to inform land managers of challenges they may face in preserving valuable services from forested lands and cropping systems.

Potential influence of climate-induced vegetation shifts on future land use and associated land carbon fluxes in Northern Eurasia

“…Some of these changes in ecosystems dynamics may occur rather slowly as later successional species eventually become more dominant over early successional species as environmental conditions change. However, other changes may occur rather rapidly when unfavorable environmental conditions promote die-back, disease and wildfires [3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. These climate-induced changes in ecosystem characteristics may also cause some currently undeveloped areas to become more suitable for economic activity and other areas to be less suitable [10][11][12].…”

Landscape dynamics in Mediterranean oak forests under global change: understanding the role of anthropogenic and environmental drivers across forest types

“…In contrast, abandonment of agriculture associated with rural depopulation has occurred most frequently in Europe, where it has been a source of either forest expansion in northern countries or land degradation and shrub encroachment in southern regions (Rey Benayas et al ., ; Azevedo et al ., ). Climate change has been reported as the direct cause of shifts in forest species range in different geographic locations (Walther et al ., ; Peñuelas & Boada, ; Kelly & Goulden, ), and for the increased frequency and intensity of disturbances, such as pathogen outbreaks (Harvell et al ., ; Edburg et al ., ), extreme weather events (Allen et al ., , ; Carnicer et al ., ), and wildfires (Westerling et al ., ), with the consequent widespread forest mortality across continents (Peterman & Bachelet, ; Anderegg et al ., , ; Allen et al ., ).…”