Atmosphere

Forests are retaining carbon for less and less time

Published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), a study to which the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and CREAF have contributed has revealed that the time for which forests retain carbon has fallen by between 0.2% and 0.3% every year in recent decades. Plant mortality is rising due to higher carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and, in particular, warming and droughts.

Atmosphere Geu @en Jordi sardans @en Josep peñuelas @en Pnas @en Reservoirs

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

Increased ozone levels reduce flowers' sex appeal

New research finds that as climate change increases ozone levels, pollinators will have a harder timing finding plants that feed them. That’s going to be a problem for the bees that pollinate a third of the world’s food supply. Flowers and other plants rely on microscopic scent molecules to attract the bees and other pollinators that feed on them.

Atmosphere Climate change Flowers Gerard farré-armengol @en Insects Ozone Voc @en