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TORONTOThe trees and forests long thought to be a key weapon in the fight against rising carbon emissions may not be effective in long-term efforts to combat global warming, researchers suggested Tuesday.
A new study from the University of Guelph in southern Ontario found rising carbon levels failed to stimulate faster growth in 80 per cent of the worlds trees, despite the fact that the gas typically accelerates growth in plants.
Only 20 per cent of trees appeared to respond positively to higher carbon levels, prompting researchers to urge countries to rethink their long-term environmental policies.
Zeev Gedalof, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Guelph and co-author of the study, said the results challenge long-held assumptions about forests role in the fight to curb carbon emissions.
Many forecast models are based on the principle that higher carbon levels will allow trees to thrive, he said, adding the findings expose a potential flaw in popular environmental policy.
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Jos Cozijnsen
on Nov 1st, 2010
@ 8:47 am:
Heading should better be: ‘don’t count on NEW forests…’. Cause protecting forest does help. Interestingly, the scientists talks about ‘our’ Kyoto committents, while US is not even Party and Canada is not willing to comply.