Science & Health
Peatlands function as excellent carbon sinks storing more greenhouse gas than all the world’s vegetation, but a warming planet could change their nature, according to a study led by the University of Exeter.
The study, which examined the response of peatlands to climate variability between 850 BCE and 1850 CE, claims that high temperatures because of global warming could cause these swamps and bogs to absorb more carbon initially but the trend will reverse, later on, reports Science Daily.
The initial higher absorption of carbon is linked to the lengthening of growing season for plants in peatlands in cold regions such as Siberia and Canada while the reversal in around 2100 would be due to higher decomposition rates in plants in tropical peatlands, notes Phys.org.
