Carbon sequestration at risk of destabilization in large regions of the world

A study published this week in the renowned journal Nature shows clear signs of destabilizing carbon uptake by land ecosystems in large regions of the world. In particular, the difference between the CO2 taken up and the CO2 released into the atmosphere in these regions increasingly differs across years, with high plant productivity (and high carbon sequestration) in some years and low plant productivity (and low sequestration) in others. The study’s authors warn that such increasing variability indicates a risk of ecosystems becoming destabilized, spiralling away from their current situation and undergoing abrupt changes.