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Experimental evidence from a mature, phosphorous-limited, eucalypt forest finds that aboveground productivity was not significantly stimulated by elevated CO2. Findings suggest that this effect may be limited across much of the tropics.
Extreme rainfall increases with temperature and this is predicted to continue in a future warmer climate. Whilst a downturn in rainfall scaling is observed at high temperatures in the present day, this does not imply an upper limit on rainfall extremes in the future.
Gains in maize yield from the US Corn Belt have been attributed to agricultural technologies. A study now shows that solar brightening was responsible for approximately 27% of yield growth from 1984 to 2013.
Historically, warm periods enhanced the Asian summer monsoon—increased rainfall brought additional nutrients to freshwater ecosystems and increased production. However, anthropogenic aerosols have weakened the monsoon and altered lake ecosystems.
Ocean acidification has expanded in the western Arctic Ocean. Observations from the 1990s to 2010 show that aragonite saturation levels have decreased, with low saturation water deepening to 250 m and increasing in area more rapidly than seen in other oceans.
A seven-year experimental pond experiment reveals that warming can fundamentally alter the carbon balance of small ponds over a number of years, reducing their capacity to sequester CO2 and increasing emissions of CH4.
Deforestation in Amazonia has previously been linked to thermally driven precipitation increases. Satellite observations and model simulations now suggest a shift toward a dynamically driven hydroclimate, with enhanced rainfall seen downwind of deforested areas.
Modelling of mammal and bird responses to recent climatic changes—based on a systematic review of the literature—suggests that large numbers of threatened species have already been affected by climate change in at least part of their range.
Communicating climate science requires depicting uncertainty. This study shows that the tendency for COP21 policymakers to assign model forecasts less weight than their prior beliefs when making predictions is mitigated by presenting individual model forecasts with the statistical range.
This paper presents interrelated indicators for tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement. Findings show broad consistency with keeping warming below 2 °C, but technological advances are needed to achieve net-zero emissions.
Research into the impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands has tended to focus on sea-level rise. Now modelling of Gulf of Mexico wetland plant community responses to climate change projects transformative ecological changes this century.
Socioeconomic scenarios of climate change contain a number of assumptions, which lead to uncertainty in projections. Emission estimates in the scenarios are found to be most sensitive for assumptions about energy intensity and economic growth.
Extreme rainfall is predicted to increase with warming; however observations show differing rates of change. This study shows rainfall-associated cooling reduces the observed scaling rate. Projections show increased scaling rates in the future particularly for the strongest extremes.