Planting trees in the Arctic could have dire consequences

Planting trees in the Arctic could have dire consequences

Planting trees has become a widely praised, low-cost way to tackle climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, helping to pull this major greenhouse gas from the air. Yet, when trees are planted in the wrong places, they can do more harm than good—and in some cases, they may even speed up global warming. A study in Nature Geoscience points to high-latitude regions like the Arctic as especially risky sites for new forests. These cold areas may s…