Gemeinsames Meteorologisches Kolloquium

Universitätsinstitute der Universitäten Mainz und Frankfurt am Main

Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz

Atmosphäre und Klima

Begleitende Vortragsreihe zur Johannes Gutenberg-Stiftungsprofessur im Jahr 2004

Kooperation des Instituts für Physik der Atmosphäre und des Studium generale

Dr. Sandy Harrison

Reader in Physical Geography, School of Geographical Sciences,
University of Bristol, UK

Direct impacts of atmospheric CO₂ concentration on global vegetation distribution

Donnerstag, 6. Mai 2004, 16.30 Uhr, Hörsaal N 3 (Muschel)

Atmospheric CO₂ concentration has increased by nearly 100 ppm during the industrial era and is likely to continue rising into the forseeable future. Changes in CO₂ affect vegetation patterns through changes in regional climates. There are also direct impacts on plant physiology which have consequences for vegetation productivity and survival. Observations of the physiological effect of increasing CO₂ concentrations are inconclusive about how important this direct effect is, compared to the impact of changes in climate, at the ecosystem level. However, insights can be gained from comparing the importance of the two effects in the geological past, using palaeovegetation data in conjunction with model simulations. Such investigations show that lowering CO₂ to glacial levels has profound effects in the tropics but small effects in the extratropics, whereas increasing CO₂ has large effects in the extratropics and small effects in the tropics. Changes due to the direct physiological impact of increasing [CO₂] can counteract climate-induced changes in vegetation productivity and distribution. The potential for the direct effects of changing CO₂ to feedback on climate changes is large and could lead to counter-intuitive changes in the future.

Nächster Vortrag in dieser Reihe:

Prof. Dr. Stephan Borrmann (Mainz)

Welchen Einfluss haben die Emissionen des Luftverkehrs auf die Atmosphäre?

Donnerstag, 13. Mai 2004, 16.30 Uhr, Hörsaal N 3 (Muschel)