Elevated CO2 levels may mitigate losses of biodiversity from nitrogen pollution
Thursday, December 3, 2009 - 15:35
in Earth & Climate
Rising levels of carbon dioxide may overheat the planet and cause other environmental problems, but fears that rising CO2 levels could directly reduce plant biodiversity can be allayed, according to a new study by a University of Minnesota scientist Peter Reich. In fact, rising CO2 may actually help counteract losses of diversity from another environmental villain: the global rain of nitrogen from fertilizers and exhaust fumes.