Climate change is at the root of our shrivelling forests

Host of the North Burnett region's Changing Climates series, Dr Christa Pudmenzky, explains the importance of trees to our environment in conjunction with National Tree Day. Plus, how are they impacted by rising temperatures?

Experts observe that Australia's climate is warming.

With National Tree Day coming up this weekend, it's time to take a closer look at the impact of warming temperatures on our towering, leafy friends.

Trees have been symbols of growth and renewal throughout history.

Forests are cradles of life that support entire ecosystems, with a single handful of soil containing more living organisms than there are people on Earth.

Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife, clean our air, minimise erosion and help stabilise the soil which is particularly important during high-rainfall events.

They have also been instrumental in helping to slow down climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide.

However, while trees help offset some of human-induced warming, they're also equally vulnerable to it.

Rising temperatures are being seen all over the world, including in Australia.

For example, Queensland now experiences around two and a half more hot July nights than it did in the 1970s.

Trees are paying the price for climate change:

In Australia, trees are dying at an accelerated rate.

While there are multiple climate-related factors that contribute to this acceleration, the primary culprit is an increasingly dry environment – both in the sky and on land.

A warmer atmosphere means more water is drawn out of plants, resulting in trees losing more than they can absorb through their roots.

This eventually leads to water stress and sometimes death.

When water is scarce, some trees like the iconic Aussie river red gum stop growing and become dry – this reduces the amount of carbon that forests can hold, meaning more stays in our atmosphere.

Drier trees in combination with a warming climate can cause a cascade of other effects, impacting our bushfire season and wildlife.

Dead and dry vegetation can lead to large swaths of land becoming increasingly flammable, resulting in longer and more intense bushfire seasons.

Furthermore, many of our iconic tree-dwelling animals rely on flourishing forests to live.

Without suitable habitat, we can expect sensitive wildlife like koalas to be at further risk of extinction.

What can we do to help?

National Tree Day this weekend provides a special opportunity to get our hands dirty and give back to our communities and our environment.

It has brought together over five million people and led to the planting of more than 26 million trees since the event began in 1996.

Gather your mates, family, neighbours and furry friends to host your own Tree Day event, or come along to another one in your community.

Just like a tree is only as strong as the forest that surrounds it, we are only as strong as the environment that supports us.

Strong, active communities are going to be vital to combating climate change.

Are you a tree genius?

Want more information on how your climate is changing? Check out the last article in this series.

Dr Christa Pudmenzky is a climate scientist at the University of Southern Queensland.

This column is part of a collaboration between Monash University and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.