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Published online 21 September 2005 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news050919-5
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Heatwaves spell bad news for carbon sinks
Extreme temperatures make forests emit carbon dioxide.
The heatwave that parched Europe in 2003 caused the continent's grasslands and forests to release huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, climate experts have found.
Heatwaves are predicted to become more common as a result of climate change, so the discovery raises fears that forests in temperate regions will become significant emitters of this greenhouse gas.
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