Climate Change Impact on Forest Cover: A Critical Review

Abstract

Climate change affects forest cover through increased temperature, change in precipitation, frequent extreme events, and a shifting disturbance regime. In view of understanding the existing studies carried out on climate change impact on forest cover, we reviewed the findings of several researchers to assess the impact of changing climatic parameters on forest cover. The role of deforestation on climate change was analyzed by presenting some of the arguments made by several researchers. Further, the influence of forests in climate change was evaluated by the amount of carbon sequestrated in the forests throughout the world and the effect of climate change on carbon sequestration was also done with the help of review of the literature. Direct, Indirect and compound effects of climate change impact on forest cover were also shortlisted and discussed. Then certain coping mechanisms were also discussed by the authors for the forests whose health was highly affected due to climate change. Several research publications demonstrating the response of forest cover to climate change were critically analyzed. The review revelaed that climatic variations are very important to understand the forest cover changes of an ecosystem in which the climate prevails. It is also understood that the variability of rainfall and temperature were not the main cause for forest cover changes. Climate change impact assessment has significant implications on carbon sequestration greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change. Utilising remote sensing data for documenting and identifying forest degradation status is a viable option for planning climate change mitigation in forest regions.