Forests and Land

Environmental Challenges

eTwinning Project

Causes and effects of Climate Change on Forests and Lands in project countries

3. Gabriela, Moldova4. Elif Ezgi Çiftci, Turkey5. Hapun Iana, Moldova

2. Lungu Ilinca, Moldova

1. Ali Çınar Tan, Turkey

Forest/ Land

What are the influences/effects of Climate Change on Forests?

Climate change is causing forest fires,and forest fires are causing the first change to accelerate.There are many scientific studies that support this.The increased amount of carbon dioxide and other unwanted gases in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect.The world can not cool off due to the greenhouse effect,the global temperature is increasing.This extremely hot and dry weather,which is the result of the greenhouse effect,triggers fire forests to start earlier and last longer.With fewer trees remaining to absorb carbon dioxide from the air after the fire,the rate of carbon dioxide increases and the greenhouse effect becomes more severe. It’s a kind of series of disasters that feed off each other.

What are the potential solutions?

• We can use alternative energy resources, for example: wind energy, solar energy and many more…
• We can give more importance to jeo engineering, carbon sequestration and we can do many more like this. Ali Çınar Tan, Turkey, Suzan Pıçakcı

Moldova

• In the Republic of Moldova the diversity of climatic conditions is reflected directly by the territorial distribution of three floristic regions:
• Central European mesophytic forests with preference for humid climate.
• Sub-Mediterranean forests of downy oak (forest-steppe) with preference for semi-arid climate
• Eurasian steppe vegetation with climate preference arid.
• The interference of these three floristic regions on the territory of our country, allow to signal the vulnerability and trends in changing the floristic composition, as well as an evolution of natural plant ecosystems during the XXI century.

Plants

1. Some plant species with a northern area in conditions of increase in water shortages are forced to retreat to the center of their area, i.e. some could disappear from our country, as happened with the 3 species during the last century.
2. We consider that plant species, currently critically endangered, could disappear or will restrict the area of ​​spread under the action of the impact of global warming climate.

The forest vegetation was strongly affected by drought. The species were most endangered of forest-forming trees - oak, beech, oak which had an abundant flowering, pollination good, poor fruiting and a productivity of low wood mass (50%). Other species of trees and shrubs of these forests have bloomed abundantly, but fruiting was poor or was completely absent, the leaves fell early (May-June), times or kept dry in crowning long after drought. Gabriela, Moldova, teacher Rața Natalia

Forests

What are the influences of climate change on forests?

Climate changes directly and indirectly affect the growth and productivity of forests through changes in temperature, rainfall, weather, and other factors. In addition, elevated levels of carbon dioxide have an effect on plant growth. These changes influence complex forest ecosystems in many ways. In conjunction with the projected impacts of climate change, forests face impacts from land development, suppression of natural periodic forest fires, and air pollution. Although it is difficult to separate the effects of these different factors, the combined impact is already leading to changes in our forests. As these changes are likely to continue in the decades ahead, some of the valuable goods and services provided by forests may be compromised.

Impacts on Forest Growth and Productivity

increases in temperature•Warming temperatures generally increase the length of the growing season. It also shifts the geographic ranges of some tree species. Habitats of some types of trees are likely to move north or to higher altitudes. Other species will be at risk locally or regionally if conditions in their current geographic ranges are no longer suitable.

Changes in precipitation

Climate change will likely increase the risk of drought in some areas and the risk of extreme precipitation and flooding in others. Increased temperatures alter the timing of snowmelt, affecting the seasonal availability of water. Although many trees are resilient to some degree of drought, increases in temperature could make future droughts more damaging than those experienced in the past. In addition, drought increases wildfire risk, since dry trees and shrubs provide fuel to fires. Drought also reduces trees' ability to produce sap, which protects them from destructive insects such as pine beetles.

Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2).

Carbon dioxide is required for photosynthesis, the process by which green plants use sunlight to grow. Given sufficient water and nutrients, increases in atmospheric CO2 may enable trees to be more productive, which may change the distribution of tree species. Growth will be highest in nutrient-rich soils with no water limitation, and will decrease with decreasing fertility and water supply. Ilinca, Moldova, teacher Rața Natalia

Climate change is a big problem for our Earth and it affects lots of things in our life. Some of them are forests and lands. Trees generally adapt quite well to simple changes in the climate but climate change and global warming cause really important and dangerous changes. If we list them, these are: Forest fires Insect invasions Hurricanes and strong winds

Forest Fires

Increasing forest fires are the biggest impact of climate change. Climate change causes an increase in carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere and because of that the greenhouse effect occurs. The greenhouse effect is an effect that causes the temperature of the world to increase continuously and the soil to become drier. In dry lands, fire can spread quickly and become uncontrollable.

Insect invasion

Ecological balance disrupted and insect invasions increased due to climate changeInsect invasions often shed the leaves of trees, weaken and kill trees. Also insect invasions inefficient trees and soil.

Climate change causes strong winds and hurricanes to occur more frequently. Hurricanes and strong winds cause serious damage to forests and farmlands.

Hurricane and strong winds

Solutions

First of all we should use renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy instead of coal and oil to reduce the effects of global warming and climate change. Also we should inform people about climate change. The other solution is taking care of our trees to prevent damage from insect infestations. Elif Ezgi Çiftci, TurkeyTeacher: Suzan Pıçakçı

Plant more treesProtect forests from cuttingRaise awareness

Take care of Forests!!!

Forests provide many ecosystem services: they help protect the soil from erosion, are part of the water cycle, protect biodiversity by providing habitat for many species and regulate the local climate. But forests are also negatively influenced by climate change. Climate change means the change in the temperature of the earth in recent years caused by human activities.

How do these environmental changes negatively affect the forests of the Republic of Moldova? First of all, the drying of the trees and the outbreak of fires- ,, The year 2020 was shaken by several fires that occurred in the Republic of Moldova. The data of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations show that in the 12 months of the year 1,667 fires were registered, increasing by 9% compared to 2019’’ , and once the forests have burned, an entire ecosystem, animals, plants, water and soil are affected.

How can we limit climate change and protect forests and soil?-drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions -to plant new trees, to protect new ecosystems -the traffic should be eco, we should ride bicycles in this way, so many cars that pollute terribly won't drive.Iana Hapun, Moldovateacher Gorobivschi Natalia

Moldova

Iana

Turkey

Team

Elif Ezgi Çiftci

Turkey

Ilinca

Moldova

Gabriela

Moldova

Ali Çınar Tan

Done by Gabriela, Moldova,teacher Rața NataliaThanks!