Earth’s land-based carbon sinks — forests, wetlands, grasslands and soil — are essential for absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide, regulating the planet’s temperature and mitigating climate change.
A preliminary report shows that last year — the hottest ever recorded — almost no net carbon was absorbed by land. This means the world’s terrestrial carbon sinks temporarily collapsed, reported The Guardian.
“We’re seeing cracks in the resilience of the Earth’s systems. We’re seeing massive cracks on land – terrestrial ecosystems are losing their carbon store and carbon uptake capacity, but the oceans are also showing signs of instability,” said Johan Rockström, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research director, at a New York Climate Week event last month, as The Guardian reported. “Nature has so far balanced our abuse. This is coming to an end.”
The terrestrial breakdown of carbon absorption last year could be provisional and due to the excessive drought and …