Rising CO₂ is making African savanna grasses grow more – what this means for grazing, fire and carbon storage
Originally published by The Conversation – Articles (AFRICA) — Read the original article →
Plants use carbon dioxide (CO₂) in photosynthesis to make the carbohydrates they need to grow. As the CO₂ in the atmosphere rises, mainly because humans are burning fossil fuels, many plants can photosynthesise more or use water more efficiently. This is known as “CO₂ fertilisation”.
Scientists have carried out numerous studies into CO₂ fertilisation in forests, crops and temperate ecosystems. What has been much less researched is how wild grasses in tropical savannas respond.
For decades, the grasses that dominate the ground layer of these savannas were expected to respond less strongly to rising CO₂ than many trees and other plants. Most use a type of photosynthesis called C4 photosynthesis. They include common African savanna species such as red grass (Themeda triandra) and bushveld signal grass (Urochloa mosambicensis).
