A new study from the Cyprus Institute has delivered the island’s first-ever inventory of tree biomass and carbon stocks, supporting the assessment of impacts of droughts and forest fires and measures and guiding climate adaptation strategies. 

“For the first time, we have the ability to monitor the trees of Cyprus with a precision that was not possible until now,” PhD researcher Anna Zenonos said.

She added that, as pressure from climate change intensifies in the eastern Mediterranean, reliable data has become more important for understanding how ecosystems are changing and for managing natural resources more effectively.

According to the findings, over the past seven years, Cyprus’ forests have increased the amount of carbon they hold as they grew, though these gains were offset by losses caused by recurring droughts and fires.

The study estimates that in recent years, more than 360,000 trees were affected by fire, resulting in losses exceeding 300,000 tons of biomass and 140,000 tons of stored carbon.

The mapping was carried out by researchers from the Cyprus Institute through a new artificial intelligence computational model, drawing on field data collected by the forestry department.

By absorbing carbon dioxide and storing it in their biomass, trees play a key role in mitigating climate change, while also helping to cool local microclimates.

Biomass is another word for organic material from plants or animals.