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Discovery Channel :: News - Animals :: Rising CO2 Levels Fueling Shrub Invasion (324 words) |
 | Shrubs have been steadily encroaching on traditional rangelands from the Great Plains in the United States to Mongolia and Kazakhstan for at least two centuries, and in the past 10 to 15 years, ecologists have linked the trend to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. |
| The study provides the first piece of evidence to support that theory and suggests that these kinds of environmental conditions favor shrubs over native grasses, presumably because the plants are better able to use CO2 for photosynthesis. |
| With carbon dioxide levels projected to increase sharply by the end of the century, the findings have serious implications for the management of these open rangelands which cover about 40 percent of the Earth's surface and are typically used to support livestock, the authors of the paper said. |
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Shrub / Grass | Alaska Rangelands (2292 words) |
| Shrubs are well adapted to the low moisture, low soil nutrients, and relatively short growing season of shrub / grasslands. |
| Shrubs and grasses are well adapted to life in moisture and nutrient poor soils and harsh conditions, which are distinctive of many places in Alaska that are in the early stages of succession, such as glacial moraine and braided riverbeds. |
| Shrubs are known for their ability to survive in challenging areas with minimal moisture. |
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