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Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum study links warming to forest degradation
A study published in the journal Science reveals that during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) approximately 56 million years ago, Earth's forests experienced significant degradation. Analysis of fossils from the Hanna Basin in Wyoming shows that forest canopies lost roughly 60% of their density as global temperatures rose by about 6 degrees Celsius. While increased carbon dioxide can sometimes promote plant growth, the research indicates that the resulting heat stress and drought during the PETM ultimately outweighed these benefits, leading to tree mortality and thinning canopies.
Researchers warn that modern climate change poses a similar threat, but at a much higher velocity. Humans are currently releasing carbon dioxide approximately 10 times faster than the natural processes that drove the PETM. While global vegetation showed a greening trend due to CO2 increases since 1982, about 90% of these areas have seen a reversal since 2000 as heat and drought impacts intensify. If current trends persist, forest aboveground biomass carbon storage could decrease by as much as 20% by the year 2100.
Entities
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History · Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum · Regan Dunn · Science · Wyoming
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Forests took over 100,000 years to recover from the climate shock of the PETM. dnyuz.com · fortune.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), forest canopies in Wyoming lost approximately 60% of their density. technews.tw · dnyuz.com · fortune.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Around the year 2000, approximately 90% of global vegetation areas showed a reversal in the greening trend caused by CO2. technews.tw
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Forest aboveground biomass carbon storage could decrease by up to 20% by the year 2100 if current trends continue. technews.tw
- [● 2 SOURCES] Humanity is currently releasing carbon dioxide roughly 10 times faster than natural processes did during the PETM. dnyuz.com · fortune.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Heat stress and drought can override the growth-promoting effects of increased carbon dioxide on plants. technews.tw