Withered by Warmth

Introduction

Global warming reduces growth in eucalyptus in warm regions

GLOBAL WARMING can negatively affect the growth of the eucalyptus tree. Researchers at the University of Western Sydney in Australia conducted a climate shift experiment on two eucalyptus species-Eucalyptus tereticornis and E grandis-using 21 varieties of seeds. All seeds were grown in climate-controlled glasshouses,some replicating summer conditions occurring in the seeds' area of origin and some with an additional warming temperature of 3.5ÊC. While the cool-origin eucalypts showed an increase in photosynthetic activity, those originating in warm areas responded to increased temperatures with a reduction in photosynthetic capacity and total leaf area, leading to a reduced growth of 10 per cent.

Source

Down To Earth, December 2014