A breakthrough paper, published today in the journal Science, uses NASA data to explain the connection between plant growth and climate change. Plants remove carbon from the air in the first step of the carbon cycle, so it is critical to understand how warmer temperatures affect plant growth.
Since measurements began in the 1880s, the previous decade is the warmest on record. Until this paper was published, scientists believed that warmer temperatures were generally good for plant growth because of more sunlight and increased levels of precipitation. However, when Zhao and Running from the University of Montana used NASA satellite data to compare the past decade with the previous two decades, they were surprised to find out that warmer temperatures have led to extreme drought conditions, thereby offsetting the benefits of a warmer climate.
It turns out that all of that carbon absorption going on by plants may not be happening as quickly as we thought. The areas affected by drought are mostly in the southern hemisphere, where so much of the carbon absorption takes place. The tropics alone account for 93% of all carbon intake from plants, and almost all of this occurs in regions affected by prolonged drought over the past ten years.
Watch the video to find out more and be sure to check out a great feature article, written by NASA’s Kathryn Hansen.
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