Japan is among the countries that are best prepared for natural disasters, those with the most hospital beds, the highest levels of education, prevention plans, adapted urban designs and so forth. Why, then, is it also one of the countries whose inhabitants are most at risk from such disasters?
A research group made up of researchers from CREAF, CTFC, InBIO/CIBIO, University of Santiago de Compostela and CSIC warns that the massive reforestation proposed by the Green Deal could increase the risk of fire if it isn't carried out according to good planning and scientific criteria.
Wind dynamics need to be factored into studies that measure the impact of climate change on the rhythms of nature. A study published in PNAS and co-authored by CREAF-based CSIC researcher Josep Peñuelas concludes that a decline in winds is currently benefiting plant productivity.
An international team -where Josep Peñuelas has participated- explores the factors that most affect plant behavior and how they can be included in predictive models to improve them. The result, published in Nature Plants wants to improve understanding of the global carbon cycle and ecosystem services and their future if forests change due to climate change.
A study led by CREAF shows that decreases in pollutant deposition and the increase in atmospheric CO2 have stimulated photosynthesis and carbon sequestration in forests. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how carbon circulates in the atmosphere, in living organisms, oceans, and soils in order to anticipate the effects of climate change.
The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, showed that forests growing in fertile soils with ample nutrients are able to sequester about 30% of the carbon that they take up during photosynthesis. In contrast, forests growing in nutrient-poor soils may retain only 6% of that carbon. The rest is returned to the atmosphere as respiration.
