Findings of a study undertaken by a team of US, Dutch and Australian scientists into the global rate of photosynthesis, the chemical process that governs how ocean and land plants absorb and release carbon dioxide, show that plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) up to 25 per cent faster than previously believed.
Eucalytpus leaves (photo courtesy of sweetadditions)
“Our analysis suggests that current estimates of global primary production are too low and the refinements we propose represent a new benchmark for models to simulate carbon cycling through plants,” says co-author, Dr Colin Allison, an atmospheric chemist at CSIRO’s Aspendale laboratories.
The authors of the paper said that the revised understanding of photosynthesis would help guide future estimates of plant activity, such as the capacity of forests and crops to act as bulwark against climate change.
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This new information doesn’t change reality – we have to assume that plants are still cycling carbon at the same rate they always have, it’s just that now we have a better understanding of what that rate is, and a better appreciation for the role of vegetation in the carbon cycle. We so often under estimate nature!
