2007-08-06 18:54:28 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment ➔ Global Warming
Trees have increased biomass, increased the efficiency of photosynthesis, and even become more drought resistant. Don't forget that before us oxygen breathers hit the scene, photosynthetic organisms - plants and phytoplankton - breathing CO2 RULED the world!
Quite a few biologists believe that higher CO2 has a fertilizing or enriching effect.
Just a sample:
http://www.co2science.org/scripts/CO2ScienceB2C/articles/V10/N31/B1.jsp
http://www.co2science.org/scripts/CO2ScienceB2C/articles/V9/N52/EDIT.jsp
2007-08-06 21:32:44 · answer #1 · answered by 3DM 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hopefully Byderule will pick up on your question as this is his area of expertise.
One of the things about trees is that they live a long time so changes that occur over several generations of tree are slow. Humans can intervene and through gene splicing and other manipulative procedures we can engineer changes.
Left to their own devices trees in some places are having a hard time. The boreal forest is facing very real threats from the consequences of global warming. A changing climate is more condusive to certain insects and in some places trees are being defoliated and eaten as insect populations spread.
Permafrost is melting in some places, instead of the trees being rooted in solid ground they're now rooted in soft ground causing them to lean eratically and giving rise to what's known as 'drunken forests'.
I have a farm in a forest in Scotland, the forest was planted in the last 50's and early 60's and at that time the natural tree line was 500 metres (the max altitude they could grow at). The changing climate has raised the tree line to 550 metres and as areas are being clear-felled the new crops are being planted at higher altitudes, it's not the trees that have changed but the environment in which they're growing.
Around the world higher temperatures and increased rainfall will be beneficial to many trees but in other parts of the world these same changes have negative consequences.
2007-08-07 00:23:16 · answer #2 · answered by Trevor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two current examples
In California experiments are being carried out testing different species of tree's ability to assimilate CO2 from the air. All species tested grow larger and faster, but different proportions when grown in a high CO2 environment. This varied with the species, and required less CO2 than was originally thought.
Recent forestry data shows that the decreased ozone layer shortens the life span of almost all vegetation, particularly trees, and tends to stunt their growth.
2007-08-07 02:44:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
What aspects of adaptation are you referring to?
2007-08-06 19:35:22 · answer #4 · answered by jj 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Didn't Darwin start us on that? It's called evolution.
2007-08-06 18:56:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask Darwin...
Adapt or die.
2007-08-06 19:03:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They haven't. That's why you didn't give any examples.
2007-08-06 23:58:24 · answer #7 · answered by Dr Jello 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋