A study reveals that plants absorb more carbon dioxide than previously thought!

Terrestrial plants act as an important mitigator of human-induced climate change due to their ability to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year.. This is due to gross primary productivity (GPP), which is a measure of photosynthetic activity at the canopy scale, that is, in the habitats formed by the tree canopy of the forest.

Terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) are the main tools for projecting the spatio-temporal evolution of PPB. In this way, responses to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature fluctuations and other climate change factors are obtained.

In this direction, A new study published in Advancement of science Integrating three photosynthesis mechanisms Which have not yet been integrated into the tunnel boring machine: photosynthesis temperature adaptation, obvious conversion, and photosynthesis improvement.

The research team conducted global simulations of historical climate (1900-2005) and projected climate (2006-2099) using the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios.. The RCP2.6 climate scenario suggests emissions falling to zero around 2075 and becoming negative thereafter. The RCP8.5 climate scenario instead suggests a steady increase in emissions, which would double by 2050 and more than triple by the end of the century.

Is it enough to continue planting trees to mitigate the effects of climate change?

The study results highlight that the three photosynthesis mechanisms involved are strongly supported by observations at paper level, but are currently ignored or only partially considered in tunnel boring machines.

Their simulations show that more advanced models of photosynthesis that take these mechanisms into account tend to be more predictive PPB responses are higher to climate change conditions than canonical representations that do not take them into account Or consider it only partially.

“Plants absorb a large amount of carbon dioxide every year, reducing the harmful effects of climate change“But at the moment it is not known to what extent they will continue to absorb carbon dioxide in the future,” lead author of the study, Dr. Jürgen Knauer from the University of Vienna, told Cosmos.

A larger than expected increase in PPBs, under future climate change, will have important implications for assessments of the global carbon cycle, because PPBs are the main pathway for atmospheric carbon dioxide to enter the terrestrial biosphere.

What we discovered is thatWell-established model used to support global climate assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts stronger, more sustainable carbon uptake through the end of the 21st century Other processes that govern photosynthesis in plants, Knauer said.

“Just planting trees will not solve all our problems, and at best, it can help during the transition period as society moves away from fossil fuels. Ultimately, we have to eliminate emissions from all sectors. Afforestation alone does not provide humanity with a magical resultsaid Ben Smith, co-author of the study and director of the Hawkesbury Institute.

Current reference

Jürgen Knauer et al. Global gross primary productivity will rise under a future climate with more advanced representations of photosynthesis. Sci-fi. 9 (2023).