Cyprus Institute builds island’s first tree-level carbon inventory

Local climate crisisnatureresearchTop Newstrees Cyprus Institute builds island’s first tree-level carbon inventory Pr Tree Relevant News New “Raptors for LIFE” project to protect Cyprus’s three key birds of prey 4 August 2026 Wildfires ease in Greece as people return to gutted homes 4 August 2026 Cyprus Institute builds island’s first tree-level carbon inventory 4 August 2026 newsroom 4 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Cyprus Institute has produced Cyprus’s first nationwide, tree-level inventory of the biomass and carbon stored in the island’s trees, according to a press release announcing the new study by the Institute’s researchers. The inventory gives forest managers and policymakers a new tool for monitoring forests and supporting climate adaptation, the press release says. Researchers built the inventory using a new artificial intelligence-based methodology combined with field measurements collected by the Cyprus Department of Forests. Unlike previous approaches, the study says, it allows systematic and repeatable monitoring of changes in tree biomass and carbon stocks over time, providing scientific evidence to support forest management, post-fire restoration and climate adaptation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass, helping mitigate climate change, the press release notes, while also cooling cities, improving air quality and supporting biodiversity. The study found that nearly a third of Cyprus’s tree cover lies outside forests. Researchers point to Athalassa National Forest Park in Aglantzia as an example, where the inventory identified a high density of large trees within an urban setting, underlining the contribution of urban green spaces and trees outside traditional forest areas, according to the press release. The inventory also shows that gains in forest carbon storage over the past seven years have been offset by recurrent wildfires and drought-related tree deaths. The study estimates that more than 360,000 trees have been affected by wildfires since 2014, resulting in losses of more than 300,000 tonnes of biomass and 140,000 tonnes of stored carbon. According to the study, these estimates were only possible because of the new inventory, which captures losses that earlier approaches could not quantify as accurately, particularly from smaller and isolated wildfires. The press release states that, beyond its findings, the inventory gives Cyprus a framework for systematically monitoring its forest and tree resources, strengthening the scientific basis for assessing wildfire and drought impacts, evaluating restoration efforts, and supporting evidence-based forest management and climate adaptation. Anna Zenonos, Graduate Research Fellow at the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C) of The Cyprus Institute and first author of the study, said Cyprus’s trees can now be monitored “with a level of detail that was not previously possible,” according to the press release. She added that rising pressure from drought and wildfires in the Eastern Mediterranean, one of the regions most affected by climate change, makes reliable data on the island’s trees and ecosystems more important than ever. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News New “Raptors for LIFE” project to protect Cyprus’s three key birds of prey Wildfires ease in Greece as people return to gutted homes Large fire in Limnatis, Limassol district contained Status of US-Iran talks uncertain as ship struck in Hormuz Europe’s wildfire season exposes climate insurance gap Protest against South Korea-US military drill in Seoul Alert couple saves Kornos forest as Brazilian pair charged Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.