Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) estimated to be up to 20% higher.
DB2
It seems to be really good news for poison ivy.
If global emissions continue, the Duke University paper says poison ivy will take advantage of the excess carbon in the atmosphere and grow 149% faster than it does today. On average, other woody plants grew only 31% faster under similar CO2 conditions.
While the poison ivy in the study grew in much more abundance, the concentration of urushiol (that terrible chemical compound that causes rashes) increased 153%. So not only is that plant growing bigger and more abundant, but it is also becoming more poisonous.
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And more importantly, for forests…
The study, recently published in the journal Nature Communications, finds that elevated carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased wood volume – or the biomass – of forests in the United States.
…compared to the trees of 30 years ago, modern vegetation is about 20% to 30% bigger than it used to be…Researchers also found that even older large trees continue adding biomass as they age due to elevated carbon dioxide levels…
Researchers were also able to use this method to test whether there were differences in naturally occurring trees versus trees that were planted. Sohngen thought that planted trees would undergo a bigger fertilization effect, as they have an advantage in that planters often pick the best seeds to plant in only the best locations. On the contrary, he was surprised to find that planted trees respond to carbon dioxide levels in the same way natural ones do.
DB2
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Is this the topic in which to post this?
{{The most mature BiCRS technology is biochar, which accounts for more than 90% of credits delivered in the entire carbon removals market. Produced by heating biomass in low-oxygen environments to produce a charcoal-like soil additive that sequesters carbon, biochar has potential to be used on fields to replace nutrients and improve soil health. }}
And this.
Terra Preta; Tierra Prieta; Black Earth.
This tech could be used to sequester CO2 for hundreds to thousands of years, WHILE ALSO improving soil fertility.
ralph
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It certainly sounds like positive news – sequestering carbon while improving soil.
DB2
An 80% reduction in the estimated contribution to sea level rise. And that is using the unrealistically high RCP8.5 emissions scenario.
“Previous forecasts of the Antarctic contribution to global mean sea level rise were anywhere between 20 and 52cm by 2100. But by getting a better idea of sea levels during the Mid-Pliocene era, our study reduces this estimate to between 5 and 9cm.”
DB2