Old hay and Alpine ibex horns reveal how grasslands respond to climate change
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 01:22
in Earth & Climate
To better understand how grassland ecosystems respond to a warming climate and rising levels of carbon dioxide -- particularly with respect to the plants' water use -- resourceful scientists have captured telling time series from the proverbially fleeting grass. Grassland researchers analyzed specimens of hay from the British lowlands dating back as far as 150 years, together with nearly 70 years of grazing as recorded in the horns of Alpine ibex, correlating these data with climate records.