Climate Change, Deforestation Harm Old-Growth Forests: Study (2)

Forests globally are becoming younger and shorter because of deforestation and climate change, reducing biological diversity and stunting forests’ ability to store atmospheric carbon, according to research published Thursday.

Rising global temperatures, clear-cutting, wildfire, and climate change-driven insect infestations are leading to more trees dying and fewer trees growing old across the globe, according to the research in the journal Science. That creates an ecological imbalance that prevents the forests from storing carbon dioxide, the study found.

“Trees are adapted to live in the conditions they grew up in,” said lead study author Nate McDowell. “The conditions they grew up ...