Haunted forests: cedars near New York turned pale white and lost their leaves
'23.09.2021'
Nurgul Sultanova-Chetin
The head of the New Jersey Department of Ecology, Sean LaTourette, believes that kilometers of bald and whitened cedars on the New Jersey coast are a warning to humanity. The trees have evolved into what researchers call “ghost forests,” reports NBC News.
This term refers to internal changes in the landscape, that is, the transition from lush green vegetation to pale white and almost without leaves. Such trees no longer adequately protect the coastal area and disrupt the life of many animal species.
The wilting of these once lush forests is a direct result of climate change. Trees die off due to contact with salt water, which takes over more land due to rising sea levels and hurricanes.
“If we pay close attention to the environment, we see that it is sending us signals,” LaTourette said as he strolled through a ghostly forest covering more than 120 hectares in southern New Jersey. "This is a signal of the risk we all face from salt water intrusion due to storm surge."
The Atlantic cedar forests are considered the “first line of defense” on the New Jersey coast. They thrive in freshwater wetlands. These swamps are so thick that special care and a good pair of special shoes are required to walk through them.
As the sea level rises, these trees are the first to suffer, and the intrusion of salt water kills them due to the sensitive nature of the trees themselves. Then this water will be used to flood agricultural fields, residential buildings, drinking water sources, etc.
See the video below for what the ghostly forests in New Jersey look like.
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Along much of the US East Coast, once healthy coastal woodlands are rapidly shrinking, to the point where if the rate of decline continues, these forested wetlands will reach "a century's point of no return," according to the University of Virginia and the United States.
Duke University researchers have focused on studying ecosystems. Ghost forests are already a problem across the East Coast and in states along the Gulf Coast such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Forest diseases are the result of climate change
These coastal woodlands are critical ecosystems in the United States. They filter pollutants, act as natural barriers and store carbon in the earth. But their coastal location puts them on the front line in the fight against sea level rise.
“When you look at these forests, you see a direct result of climate change, and it’s scary,” said Christine Meistrell, director of trusteeship for the Audubon Society of New Jersey. This organization pays special attention to environmental awareness and environmental protection. Meistrell has worked here for almost 10 years and recalls the walks she took in the forest when she started work in 2012. Since then, she has watched the forests gradually die out.
Storm surges destroy forests
Government and environmental groups are struggling to restore different types of cedar to the environment. But they are gradually threatened by impending storm surges. Foresters and environmental groups are mainly focused on reforestation in the interior of the mainland - there they will not be affected by rising sea levels. Activists are clearing vast areas and planting trees there.
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“We are trying to bring this type of forest back into the landscape,” said Forester John Sacco. “By doing this, we are bringing in biodiversity. In this type of forest, there are groups of organisms that are not found in other forests. It increases biodiversity, promotes resilience and is part of our natural heritage. We need to preserve and pass it on to the next generation. "
This will take some time. It will take decades for a healthy cedar forest to develop. More than 80 percent of forests have been lost due to deforestation over the past two centuries.