2024-01-08 20:00:05
The study’s lead author, Melinda Smith, conducting field research. Colorado State University College of Natural Sciences
DECRYPTION – The effects of lack of precipitation have been greatly underestimated by previous studies, notes an international collaboration.
Global warming impacts the health of vegetation in various ways. By increasing the frequency and intensity of drought episodes, it notably increases the vulnerability of plants, reduces their growth… and therefore their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. But to what extent? An international team of researchers led by Melinda Smith, from Colorado State University (CSU), wanted to better quantify the impact of extreme droughts on the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
They were particularly interested in areas of meadows and shrubs, less studied than forests: these ecosystems, which cover more than 40% of the ice-free land surface, nevertheless capture more than 30% of the world’s carbon stock, assure the scientists in their study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Knowing that in meadows, the soil rich in organic matter stores…
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#grasslands #vulnerable #extreme #droughts
