D4.3.3—Boreal forest tipping point
Boreal forests face tipping-point risk when warming, drought, fire, pests, and decomposition shift them from carbon sinks to carbon sources.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Objective
- D4.3.3
- Level
- HL
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing1%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2018
Most common paperPaper2
Typical marks2
Common command terms
- Explain
Recent exam appearances
November 2018Paper2 ["HL"] · TZ04(c)[ 2 ]D4.3.3—Boreal forest tipping point
Practice this objective
Coverage 2018–2018 · Updated 16 Jul 2026
Concept essentials
- Boreal warming can increase drought, fires, pests, disease, and tree mortality.
- Faster decomposition and permafrost thaw can release carbon stored in cold soils.
- A tipping point occurs when feedbacks shift the forest into a different, less stable state.