Phillip Livingston Essays - Ecosystems, Forest, Habitats, Trees

This article shares how the increase of global warming is threatening forests. Specifically, threatening forests in the Pacific Northwest. This data has been collected for over 50 years from scientists in Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and southwestern British Columbia. Scientists monitored seventy six forest plots that are all over 200 years old. The study focused mainly on, pines, furs, and hemlocks. Researchers found a rise in death rates of these three species of trees. Because of the wide spread deaths, scientists ruled out effects of fire suppression, ozone-related air pollution, and normal forest forces. The highest death rates were found in California, and of the three species, the pines are dying fastest. Scientists say that the loss of all these trees could lead to huge changes in the development of forests. In my opinion, society needs to become more aware of this issue faces forests. This issue is not only causing problems in local areas of the Pacific Northwest, but is also causing problems in far off countries. People believe that planting new trees will easily cure our problems for the loss of them. But new trees will be of no help if they are dying at younger ages because of global warming. Society needs to take responsibility and start to shape up our world before our sources, such as forests, are all gone.