More than mitigation: The role of forests in climate adaptation

IF 47.3 1区综合性期刊 Q1 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES

Science Pub Date : 2026-02-12 DOI:10.1126/science.ads4361

Josephine Elena Reek, Constantin M. Zohner, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Susan C. Cook-Patton, Pieter De Frenne, Paolo D’Odorico, Marius G. Floriancic, Robert B. Jackson, Julia A. Jones, James W. Kirchner, Marysa Laguë, Yuting Liang, Yuta J. Masuda, Robert I. McDonald, Luke A. Parsons, Benedict S. Probst, June T. Spector, Thales A. P. West, Nicholas H. Wolff, Florian Zellweger, Thomas W. Crowther

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Abstract

Forests regulate global and local climates in ways that impact human well-being. In this Review, we discuss the scale-dependent mechanisms through which forests regulate climate, highlighting their contributions to global mitigation and local adaptation. Locally, forests tend to buffer temperatures, cooling in warm conditions and warming in cold ones. In regions that naturally support dense forest cover, trees contribute to global cooling primarily through carbon uptake, with some offsetting from albedo-related warming. By enhancing rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, and cloud formation, forests also influence the hydrological cycle, lowering flood risks in humid regions but often reducing downstream water availability, especially in drier climates. Collectively, these interacting processes show that the greatest climate benefits occur where forests are native, highlighting their importance for both climate adaptation and mitigation.

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不仅仅是缓解：森林在气候适应中的作用

森林以影响人类福祉的方式调节全球和地方气候。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了森林调节气候的尺度依赖机制，强调了它们对全球减缓和地方适应的贡献。在局部地区，森林倾向于缓冲温度，在温暖的条件下冷却，在寒冷的条件下变暖。在自然支持茂密森林覆盖的地区，树木主要通过碳吸收促进全球变冷，并在一定程度上抵消反照率相关的变暖。通过加强降雨拦截、蒸散和云的形成，森林还影响水文循环，降低潮湿地区的洪水风险，但往往减少下游的水供应，特别是在干燥气候下。总的来说，这些相互作用的过程表明，最大的气候效益发生在原生森林的地方，突出了它们对气候适应和减缓的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science 综合性期刊-综合性期刊

CiteScore

61.10

自引率

0.90%

发文量

审稿时长

2.1 months

期刊介绍： Science is a leading outlet for scientific news, commentary, and cutting-edge research. Through its print and online incarnations, Science reaches an estimated worldwide readership of more than one million. Science’s authorship is global too, and its articles consistently rank among the world's most cited research. Science serves as a forum for discussion of important issues related to the advancement of science by publishing material on which a consensus has been reached as well as including the presentation of minority or conflicting points of view. Accordingly, all articles published in Science—including editorials, news and comment, and book reviews—are signed and reflect the individual views of the authors and not official points of view adopted by AAAS or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated. Science seeks to publish those papers that are most influential in their fields or across fields and that will significantly advance scientific understanding. Selected papers should present novel and broadly important data, syntheses, or concepts. They should merit recognition by the wider scientific community and general public provided by publication in Science, beyond that provided by specialty journals. Science welcomes submissions from all fields of science and from any source. The editors are committed to the prompt evaluation and publication of submitted papers while upholding high standards that support reproducibility of published research. Science is published weekly; selected papers are published online ahead of print.