Forests are both impacting and being impacted by climate change. It is key that we act to protect forests to mitigate some of the risks of climate change, and also to prevent the destruction of unique habitats and ecosystems.  

Forests are often home to large and varied ecosystems, and it is vital to protect these habitats to prevent the loss of diversity. Presently, one of the largest threats to forests is deforestation, where trees are being cut down for use in the timber industry, or to clear land to be used for other purposes. Deforestation across the world is happening at an alarming rate, wiping out a large number of renewable resources, destroying ecosystems, and removing a form of natural carbon capture.  

During the 21st century, a large-scale die back of the Amazon Rainforest has become a real possibility. Met Office scientist Professor Richard Betts MBE has recently co-authored a paper, led by Bernardo Flores, exploring five critical thresholds that could see the collapse of this iconic system. 

Richard said: “After 25 years of research, the potential for a tipping point in the Amazon has gone from a theoretical concept to a real and imminent threat. We still have the chance to avoid it by stopping deforestation and halting global warming by phasing out fossil fuels, but both of these need to happen urgently.” 

Forests help stabilise our climate by regulating ecosystems and protecting biodiversity. They play an integral role in the carbon cycle, support livelihoods, and can help drive sustainable growth.  

In our Climate Conversations on ‘Rainforests – from carbon sinks to carbon source’, Met Office presenter and meteorologist Clare Nasir and climate scientist Doug McNeall spoke with experts about the issues facing forests today.

One of the issues facing forests today is the prevalence of forest fires. To reduce the risk of these fires becoming extreme events and their impact on communities, it is important to be able to forecast the probability of wildfires.  

Find out about how researchers with the CSSP Brazil project are working to understand and reduce the risk from wildfires.  

Advances in data science, including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), mean that computers can now analyse, and learn from, vast volumes of information at high levels of accuracy and speed, offering significant gains in efficiency and performance to a wide range of sectors. This includes weather and climate science and is leading to opportunities to develop the work that we and other organisations do. 

In a webinar on 26 March, we will look at some of the work already taking place and the huge opportunities AI provides to drive forward advances in weather and climate science. Join us from 15:00-16:00 GMT.