Regions where tree planting would curb warming on balance are shaded in blue, while regions where tree planting would intensify warming are shaded in red. HASLER, ET AL.

As we prepare to plant trees when the rainy season starts in a few weeks, a story like this one gives pause. If you are capable of reading and understanding the article summarized below, congratulations; meanwhile, thanks to Yale e360 for interpretation that allows the lay reader to follow along:

This Map Shows Where Planting Trees Would Make Climate Change Worse

Though oft touted as a fix for climate change, planting trees could, in some regions, make warming more severe, a new study finds.

Trees draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to keep warming in check. But their dark, green leaves also absorb heat from sunlight. Snow and sand, by virtue of their light color, reflect more sunlight back into space. As such, trees planted in snowy areas or in the desert will absorb more sunlight than their surroundings, which may negate the climate benefits of soaking up carbon dioxide.

For a new study, scientists mapped the climate impact of tree planting across the globe, determining where it would be most and least beneficial. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that because of their low reflectivity, trees planted in arid, desert regions or in the snowy Arctic would, on balance, worsen warming…

Read the whole summary here.