Over the last several years, satellite photographs have shown much of the impact of climate change over the globe. Receding ice caps and changing water levels are just a few of these impacts. But they have also shown an explosion of green in the most unexpected areas, which begs the question: Could greenhouse gases also be good for the environment?
Scientists at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis have evidence suggesting that there has been an increase in green plant growth in formerly dry areas like deserts and savannas. The cause may be rising carbon dioxide levels resulting in an increase in soil water levels, leading to new plant growth. Satellite images taken over the last 40 years are showing new patterns of green in the Mediterranean, Africa’s Sahel savanna belt, the Middle East, Northern China, Mongolia, and South America.
Dryland ecosystems cover 41 percent of Earth’s land masses and are home to over 2 million people. About 90 percent of this populace is in developing countries. While some of these areas have seen an increase in plant life due to factors like changes in rainfall and better land management practices, none of these can account for the noticeable growth worldwide.
Lixin Wang, the leader of the university study, and his team hypothesize that carbon dioxide is the common factor. Plants use water more efficiently in areas of enriched carbon dioxide, meaning more water is left in the soil. Testing their theory with data from 45 studies across eight countries, calculations show an increase of 1.2 to 2 times the ambient level of CO2 increases the water content in the soil up to 9 percent in non-drylands and as much as 17 percent in dryland areas. Even small increases in the moisture content of dryland soils could mean significant changes in the ability to grow plants and vegetables.
So, could greenhouse gases be used for good? Wang cautions against that line of logic. Greening could lead to an overgrowth of invasive species, taking food away from local cattle or other wildlife. Also, plants respond to temperature changes, and the higher temperatures that accompany increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere would eventually result in a detrimental effect on plant growth. Meanwhile, Wang and his team continue studying the effects of the growth of greenhouse gases.
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