Rising temperatures could diminish nature’s way of helping keep carbon out of the atmosphere. That’s according to new multi-disciplinary research from Northern Arizona University, along with scientists in Massachusetts and New Zealand.
They used measurement towers placed around the world and found a “tipping point” of sorts where rising temperatures led to slower photosynthesis, meaning plants took less carbon out of the atmosphere. And they found that temperature threshold isn’t that far off.
Katharyn Duffy is a postdoctoral researcher at NAU and the lead author on this research. The Show spoke with her about warmer temperatures that make plants take less carbon, therefore leave more carbon in the atmosphere.
