One hot year can impact carbon dioxide uptake

Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years.

The findings, which followed an unprecedented four-year study of sealed, 12-ton containerized grassland plots at DRI is the cover story in the September 18 edition of Nature journal.

Project Highlights

• environment is not getting air from plants as fast as before
• may increase risks of wildfires and drought
• lowering carbon dioxide emissions increasingly important