Increasing CO2 Levels Accelerating Forest Growth, Ecologist Says
Monday, February 1, 2010 - 16:29
in Earth & Climate
A new study analyzing mixed hardwood forest plots in Maryland indicates that forests in the Eastern United States may be growing faster than they have in the past 225 years. On average, the forest is growing an additional 2 tons per acre annually--the equivalent of a tree with a diameter of 2 feet sprouting up over a year. Forests and their soils store the majority of the Earth's terrestrial carbon stock. Small changes in their growth rate can have significant ramifications in weather patterns, nutrient cycles, climate change and biodiversity. Exactly how these systems will be affected remains to be studied. read more