A global study in Nature finds that warming climates transform tundra environments from carbon sinks to sources, increasing ecosystem respiration and carbon release.
A global study published in Nature reveals that warming climates cause tundra environments to release trapped carbon, potentially transforming them from carbon sinks to carbon sources and intensifying climate change effects. Researchers from over 70 countries used open-top chambers to simulate the effects of warming on 28 tundra sites worldwide. The study found that changes in air, soil temperature, and moisture led to a 30% increase in ecosystem respiration during the growing season, causing more carbon to be released. The changes persisted for at least 25 years and varied with local soil conditions. The research serves as an important baseline for improving climate models and will be refined by analyzing changing sites and including new sites in the experiment.