NASA Earth Observatory has released satellite images depicting ghost forests from an aerial perspective over North Carolina, highlighting the spread of these forests along a coastal area in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The images capture the transformation of bald cypress forests where, over the past two decades, many trees have died, losing their bark but remaining upright as haunting reminders of the vibrant life that once thrived there.
Ghost forests typically result from large groups of trees being killed, often due to saltwater inundation. These forests are commonly found along coastlines where saltwater intrusions into typically freshwater wetlands occur, impacting the trees’ ability to survive.
Captured by NASA Landsats 5 and 9, the 2005 and 2024 images illustrate the evolution of the forest over nearly two decades. NASA Earth Observatory reported that approximately 11% of the land in the refuge transformed into ghost forests between 1985 and 2019. Aerial views show the gradual encroachment of dead trees, akin to the browning edge of an avocado, as brown and black hues replace vibrant green landscapes.
Rising sea levels exacerbate the situation; the region of North Carolina depicted in the satellite images experiences sea level rises of about 0.15 inches per year, a rate three times faster than the global average.
Emily Bernhardt, an ecologist at Duke University, explained in the release that climate change, combined with human development, is contributing to this phenomenon. She noted that while marshes naturally shift with rising sea levels, cypress forests are landlocked by farmland or development, causing these wetlands to suffer significant die-offs.
However, NASA clarifies that a direct link between climate change and the ghost forests is not straightforward. A significant die-off happened in 2011 due to a drought and Hurricane Irene, which pushed saltwater further inland.
Ghost forests are proliferating along the East Coast, from Massachusetts to the Carolinas. Events like Hurricane Irene suggest that recent consecutive hurricanes in the southeastern United States pose a continued threat to coastal forests, suggesting more ghost forests could emerge in these regions in the future.