Warm extremes undermine ecosystem carbon sequestration

A recent study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution highlights challenges to Earth’s terrestrial carbon sequestration capacity due to warm extreme events, such as unusually high temperatures caused by climate change, over the past 40 years. The research, led by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the net ecosystem exchange (NEE), which determines how much carbon is absorbed by terrestrial ecosystems, is heavily impacted by climate change, with significant year-to-year fluctuations. The study indicates that as the frequency and intensity of heatwaves increase, carbon absorption from human activities may become increasingly unbalanced. Researchers have been working on improving carbon sink accounting to help optimize carbon sink regulation and support carbon trading efforts. China has recently launched a program to enhance forestry carbon sink measurement and monitoring systems to better manage these resources.

Source : CGTN