Co2 uptake

The greening of the earth is reaching its limit

A new study led by Josep Peñuelas and published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals that CO2 abundance in the atmosphere no longer has a powerful fertilizing effect on vegetation. The greening that has been observed in recent years is slowing and this will cause CO2 levels in the atmosphere to rise, thus increasing temperatures and leading to increasingly severe changes in climate.

Carbon Carbon stocks Climate change Co2 @en Co2 uptake Cop21 @en Geu @en Greening @en Imbalance-p @en Jofre carnicer @en Jordi sardans @en Josep peñuelas @en Marcos fernandez-martinez @en Nature ecology & evolution @en Summer Temperatures @en

Achieving the COP21 agreements is currently far-fetched

The COP21 set the maximum temperature increase for 2100 at 1.5° C. The only scenario which would allow achievement of this goal would require vastly reducing human CO2 emissions, significantly increasing the prominence of renewable energies, and the use of some type of artificial carbon sequestration technology.

Atmosphere Carbon Carbon dioxide Climate change Climate warming Co2 @en Co2 uptake Cop21 @en Emissions @en Fossil fuels Geu @en Global change Josep peñuelas @en Nature communications @en Pollution Projection Renewable energies Rise Scenario Sink Temperatures @en

Remote sensing of leaf pigments will improve climate change models

An international team of researchers co-led by Josep Peñuelas (CSIC and CREAF) has developed a new method for monitoring changes in the photosynthetic activity of perennial conifers throughout the year. This new technique, based on the analysis of remote sensing images captured by satellites, will improve global models of atmospheric carbon capture and permit more precise predictions about climate change.

Carbon Carbon dioxide Chlorophyll Co2 @en Co2 uptake Geu @en Josep peñuelas @en Leaves Photosynthesis Pigments @en Pnas @en Remote sensing Satellites

The loss of soil carbon can accelerate climate change

The journal Nature has today published a study which had the participation of CSIC scientists at CREAF, Marc Estiarte and Josep Peñuelas, which demonstrates the relationship between the release of carbon from soils and the acceleration of climate change.

Carbon Carbon dioxide Climate change Co2 @en Co2 uptake Geu @en Global change Josep peñuelas @en Marc estiarte @en Nature @en Pnas @en Soils

CO2 absorption in European ecosystems depends on two major climatic phenomena

The worst scenario occurs when NAO and EA are in opposite phases. This ocurred in the first few years of the previous decade and during this period, the CO2 uptake was below average. Recently, NAO and EA were in the same phase and ecosystems have been able to remove more carbon from the atmosphere.

Absorption Carbon Climate Co2 @en Co2 uptake Ea @en Ecosystems Geu @en Josep peñuelas @en Nao @en Nature @en

Nutrient-rich forests absorb more carbon

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.

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