Siberia

Siberian boreal forests store vast quantities of carbon in both vegetation and soils and are experiencing rapid environmental change. Southern Siberia has seen increasing harvesting pressure combined with warming and drying trends that threaten forest stability, while intact northern forests are increasingly affected by fires and drought.

RECCAP2-CS develops new disturbance maps and high-resolution biomass products derived from satellite observations to distinguish human-driven and natural disturbances. By combining remote sensing with bookkeeping models and field data, the project reconstructs multi-decadal carbon losses and gains, improving understanding of whether Siberian forests will continue acting as a carbon sink under future climate conditions.