Elevated carbon dioxide suppresses dominant plant species in a mixed-grass prairie
Friday, July 1, 2016 - 08:21
in Earth & Climate
Climate controls vegetation distribution across Earth, with some vegetation types being more vulnerable to climate change and others more resistant. Because resistance and resilience can influence ecosystem stability and determine how communities and ecosystems respond to climate change, evaluating the potential for resistance in future prairies and other ecosystems is important. Led by researchers from Wyoming, a team found that elevated carbon dioxide levels suppress the dominant plant species in a northern U.S. Great Plains mixed-grass prairie, creating a less diverse community.