An international study shows that especially in the northern latitudes, plant growth has decreased by 10.6 percent compared from 1982-1998 to 2000-2016. The reasons are climate extremes, especially drought. The results illustrate that ecosystems are becoming increasingly vulnerable to warm droughts and that negative impacts on the uptake of CO2 by plants and on agriculture are consequences.

Carbon dioxide can be bound by finely ground rock that is introduced into ecosystems. A new study estimates for the first time the amount of CO2 absorption that can be achieved by rock flour. This biological effect is significantly higher than previously thought, the research team reports in the journal Nature Geoscience.

If there is more carbon dioxide in the air, photosynthesis and plant growth can be stimulated. Geographers at the University of Augsburg, together with scientists from 12 countries, have found in a study that this effect has decreased worldwide by about 30% over the last four decades. What are the causes for this and what are the consequences of the results.

A team of researchers from Peking University, China, collaborated with others from Germany, UK, Spain, Belgium, France, Australia and the USA, found that earlier spring greening causes a large water loss from land soils by evaporation. This loss raises the risk of soil moisture droughts and heat extremes in the following summer months, according to the latest study published in the journal Science Advances.