A study has come with facts that European forests are now coming close to saturation point. The CO2 absorption capability of continent's trees has been declining since 2005.

The research was published in Nature Climate Change. The researchers blamed declining volume of trees, deforestation and the impact of natural disturbances for the ongoing decline in continent's trees CO2 absorption capability.

Carbon sinks are known to play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. They are promoted to be effective in tackling rising emissions.

Scientists wrote in their paper that the after centuries of stock decline and deforestation, continent's forests had been recovering in recent times. The growth allowed to project persistent carbon sink for decades.

However, the team's study found three warnings and figured out that the carbon sink was nearing a saturation point. The scientists reached the above conclusion after Europe's tree stands provided the carbon sink.

"First, the stem volume increment rate (of individual trees) is increasing and thus the sink is curbing after decades of increase," they wrote. Second, land use is intensifying, thereby leading to deforestation and associated carbon losses", researchers said.

Last one they found was increasing natural disturbances, thereby increasing the emissions of CO2.