All articles tagged with #forest growth
New research reveals that increased CO2 levels lead soil microbes to retain more phosphorus, limiting its availability for tree growth, particularly in eucalypts. This challenges current climate projections that assume higher CO2 will boost forest growth and mitigate global warming, highlighting the need to consider soil nutrient dynamics in climate models.
A new study suggests that widespread reforestation in the eastern United States during the 20th century helped counter rising temperatures due to climate change, leading to a cooling effect in the region. The research highlights the potential of forests as regional climate adaptation tools and emphasizes the need for both reforestation and a decrease in carbon emissions. The study found that forests in the eastern U.S. today cool the land's surface and lower near-surface air temperatures, with the cooling effect extending to unforested parts of the landscape. While reforestation is considered a viable strategy for climate mitigation, its impact on other environmental factors must be carefully evaluated.