Changing Plant Chemistry
Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels are lessening the ability of plants to absorb and store that greenhouse gas.
A study by the University of Maryland of leaf chemistry in plants around the world between 1980 and 2017 also found that nitrogen is becoming less available to the plants.
Nitrogen is essential for the growth and development of plant life, and it is usually released into the soil by microbes when leaves and other organic matter decay on the ground. While trees normally absorb it back from the soil, the process is being hampered by the increased carbon pollution.
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