Boreal forests cover the furthest northern part of our planet, south of the treeless Arctic tundra. If, metaphorically speaking, the planet has an Arctic ice cap, the boreal forests can be considered a loosely knitted cuff protecting the Earth's ears, encompassing large parts of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia.

The soil of the boreal region has long protected the planet from warming by storing vast amounts of carbon and preventing it from entering the atmosphere. The region's relative remoteness has historically protected its forests and wetlands from widespread human impact.

These two characteristics rank boreal forests among the Earth's most significant ecosystems, and these forests are home to numerous species of mammals, fish, plants, insects and birds.

For more than two centuries, scientists have explained that climate plays a vital role in determining the geographical zones of flora. Since temperatures in boreal forests and soils are typically below zero in winter and summers are relatively short, these forests and the animals that inhabit them are moving northwards as temperatures rise.

However, the northward shift of boreal forests is uneven and slower than expected. At the same time, their retreat from the south has been faster than predicted. Scientists studying the ecosystems, forests and wetlands of northern regions are seeing alarming evidence that, as the planet warms, its largest forest areas appear to be shrinking.

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-world-boreal-forests-climate-northward.html