Trees ‘getting shorter’ due to climate crisis

TREES are getting shorter due to climate change, according to new research.

Scientists say temperatures and carbon dioxide levels have been stunting the world’s forests and killing huge numbers of trees

Both human and natural causes are to blame, with wildfires, drought and choking vines also playing a major role.

The average tree size has dropped drastically over the last century and this decline in age and stature is likely to continue, experts warn.

The findings come from a study by international researchers, including scientists from the University of Birmingham.

They showed how global environmental changes are accelerating the number of tree deaths and forcing forests to be both younger and shorter.

And the changes show no signs of stopping with forests continuing to be altered into the “foreseeable future”, according to the authors.

They say several factors have led to the widespread loss of trees through both human activity and natural disturbances.

Carbon dioxide levels have increased dramatically since the Industrial Revolution and are projected to continue to rise over the next century.

Higher CO2 levels can actually increase a tree’s growth rate and seed production, but this tends to only happen in younger forests with plenty of nutrients and water.

These resources are limited in most forests, which reduces the carbon dioxide benefits.