Global warming is making the Earth “breathe” faster: Seasonal CO? fluctuations have risen by 50% in northern regions since the 1960s, according to an international meta-study involving Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Buermann (University of Augsburg). This rapid shift in the carbon cycle could threaten global climate goals.

An international study shows that especially in the northern latitudes, plant growth has decreased by 10.6 percent compared from 1982-1998 to 2000-2016. The reasons are climate extremes, especially drought. The results illustrate that ecosystems are becoming increasingly vulnerable to warm droughts and that negative impacts on the uptake of CO2 by plants and on agriculture are consequences.

Carbon dioxide can be bound by finely ground rock that is introduced into ecosystems. A new study estimates for the first time the amount of CO2 absorption that can be achieved by rock flour. This biological effect is significantly higher than previously thought, the research team reports in the journal Nature Geoscience.