THE COOL DOWN - Rising global temperatures are still a major concern for scientists, but new research found that warmer and drier conditions might actually lower the amount of pollution released into the atmosphere in certain forests.
What's happening?
Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, found that rising global temperatures may be reducing nitrogen emissions in places with little rainfall, according to UCR News.
The study, published in the journal PNAS, was led by a team of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers based in Shenyang City, China.
Per UCR News, global temperatures are expected to rise by about 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by mid-century. Researchers simulated the change in forest plots using mounted infrared heaters and discovered that nitrous oxide emissions dropped 16%.
The study found that warmer conditions led to dry soils and reduced gas emissions in areas with less than 40 inches of rain per year. However, warming increased nitrogen loss in wetter forests.
Pete Homyak, an associate professor of environmental sciences, said soil moisture is critical for research.