Congratulations to hurricanes Jordan Staal as he and his wife welcomes another baby.

New England’s woodlands serve as a crucial asset, offering shelter for various wildlife, purifying air and water, and acting as a reservoir for carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, these forests confront a mounting peril: hurricanes.

A recent research paper unveiled in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences underscores the potential substantial repercussions of more frequent and intense hurricanes on New England’s forests’ capacity to sequester carbon.

In their study, the researchers employed computer simulations to project the consequences of varying hurricane strengths on New England’s wooded areas. Their findings revealed that even a solitary hurricane could trigger a notable release of carbon dioxide from the trees. This occurs when hurricanes topple trees, leading to their decomposition and the subsequent release of stored carbon dioxide.

Moreover, the study unveiled that hurricanes’ impact on carbon storage would be more pronounced in forests already strained by other factors like climate change and infestations of insects. These revelations imply that New England’s forests might be more susceptible to hurricane effects than previously understood. For instance, the research cited in this article indicates that a single hurricane in New England could result in the loss of 4.6-9.4% of the total above-ground forest carbon. Given that it typically takes about 19 years for the downed carbon to become a net emission, this is a significant concern.

The authors argue that current carbon market policies inadequately address the risks posed by hurricanes. Hurricanes can impact forests’ carbon storage in several ways:

1. Extensive tree mortality: Hurricanes unleash potent winds and storm surges capable of felling trees, leading to the release of stored carbon as they decompose.
2. Gradual and prolonged emissions: The carbon release from fallen trees occurs over decades during decomposition, prolonging the impact on carbon storage long after the storm’s passage.
3. Heightened vulnerability of already stressed forests: Forests weakened by other stressors such as drought, disease, or insect infestations are more susceptible to hurricane damage, exacerbating their carbon storage depletion and making them more prone to future storms.

The study underscores the imperative for novel forest management approaches that factor in the threat of hurricanes. Potential strategies include prioritizing the planting of tree species resilient to high winds, forest thinning to enhance resilience while maintaining biodiversity, and establishing buffer zones along coastlines to shield inland forests from hurricane winds and surges.