Study Suggests World's Forest Can -- and Did -- Adapt to Climate Change

GreenTracker| A new study by Carlos Jaramillo, a scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, suggests that ancient rainforests and today’s trees are hardier than previously believed, in adapting to climate change.

Studying pollen grains and other biological indicators of plant life in rocks 56 milliion years old, Jaramillo’s team concluded that forests bloomed with diversity during an abrupt period of global warming called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. CO₂ levels had doubled in 10,000 years and global temperatures increased by 3C-5C for 200,000 years.

The findings were also contrary to expectations with regard to moisture levels not decreasingly significantly during the warm period. Plants became more effecient with their water use; passionflowers and chocolate families evolved quicker as other species became extinct.

The problem for tropical plants is deforestation, moreso than global warming, Jaramillo concluded in his survey. via The Guardian

More reading: Study | Carbon Dioxide Levels & Global Warming 40 Million Years Ago