13 February 2024
AGU press contact:
Liza Lester, +1 (202) 777-7494, [email protected] (UTC-5 hours)
Contact information for the researchers:
Kim Novick, Indiana University, [email protected] (UTC-5 hours)
Mallory Barnes, Indiana University, [email protected] (UTC-5 hours)
WASHINGTON — Widespread 20th-century reforestation in the eastern United States helped counter rising temperatures due to climate change, according to new research. The authors highlight the potential of forests as regional climate adaptation tools, which are needed along with a decrease in carbon emissions.
“It’s all about figuring out how much forests can cool down our environment and the extent of the effect,” said Mallory Barnes, lead author of the study and an environmental scientist at Indiana University. “This knowledge is key not only for large-scale reforestation projections aimed at climate mitigation, but also for initiatives like urban tree planting.”
The study was published in the AGU journal Earth’s Future, which publishes interdisciplinary research on the past, present and future of our planet and its inhabitants.
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