Forest Carbon Storage Under Climate Stress

Forests remove carbon from the atmosphere, but photosynthesis does not always translate directly into durable storage in wood.

Studies of oak forests in the eastern United States and California found that trees often stopped growing months before photosynthesis ended, while research from Switzerland linked hotter, drier conditions to slower growth. These findings highlight how carbon allocation, water stress, and the separation between carbon uptake and biomass accumulation can affect estimates of future forest sequestration. They also raise questions about whether land and Earth-system models accurately represent forest responses to a warmer, more moisture-stressed climate.