News Climate

The snow forest of North America may be about to shrink

It’s one of the world’s largest stretches of forest, with millions of people depending on it

A drone photo of a southern stretch of the North American boreal forest burnt by wildfires.

Along a southern stretch of the North American boreal forest, wildfires in May left behind a burnt landscape (pictured) in Alberta, Canada.

Megan Albu/AFP/Getty Images

By Nikk Ogasa

One of nature’s woody behemoths — the North American snow forest — may soon begin shrinking.

The continent’s boreal forest reposes in subarctic latitudes, spanning much of Alaska and Canada. Scientists had previously suggested that its range might shift northward as the climate warms, helping maintain its expansive breadth.