Plants are not just victims of climate change, but have also played a significant role in shaping habitable conditions on Earth, according to a new study. Over the course of hundreds of millions of years, changes in carbon dioxide levels and temperature have influenced the Earth’s current response to global warming. Researchers in the field of biogeodynamics are working to understand how these changes have impacted life on Earth in the past.
In an article published in Science Advances, Julian Rogger and his colleagues argue that plants are active participants in Earth’s climate cycle. Through computer models, they demonstrate how plants help regulate the composition of the atmosphere by trapping carbon and emitting oxygen. This process helps control carbon dioxide levels and accelerates the weathering of soils, thereby consuming greenhouse gases.
The researchers found that there is a feedback loop between climate, atmosphere, and plant life. Plants can act as a buffer against slow changes in temperature when given enough time to evolve or spread to new environments. However, rapid changes in climate have led to significant alterations in vegetation and even mass extinctions in the past.
The team of geologists, computer scientists, and earth scientists created a computer model spanning 390 million years to study how changes in continents, climate, and vegetation have interacted throughout Earth’s history. The goal is to understand the coevolution of climate, vegetation, and tectonics and how quickly vegetation can adapt to sudden changes in temperature.
In conclusion, plants have not only endured climate change, but have also played a critical role in shaping Earth’s habitable conditions. By understanding how plant life has responded to past environmental changes, researchers hope to gain insight into how vegetation may adapt to future climate challenges.