Bengaluru: Researchers studying plant growth in the Kaziranga region may have uncovered a crucial piece in understanding carbon dioxide levels and developing climate change strategies.
A team from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), with support from local forest officials, discovered that plants absorb the most carbon dioxide before the monsoon season, not during it, as previously thought. Their findings were published in the journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.
During the monsoon, thick clouds obscure sunlight, hampering photosynthesis and carbon uptake. In contrast, the pre-monsoon period offers more sunlight, facilitating plant growth and more effective carbon absorption.
“This information is missing in climate mitigation strategies,” said Pramit Kumar Deb Burman, the study’s lead author. He highlighted that understanding carbon uptake is vital for India, as the country has limited ground-level carbon data, hindering accurate climate assessments.
Traditionally, scientists analyze carbon emissions using two main methods. The first involves satellite data, which relies on reflected sunlight. The second, a bottom-up approach, studies ground-level energy exchanges, allowing researchers to build a clearer picture of carbon dynamics.
Burman explained, “We start with local observations and then scale up.” This method reveals insights into how land acts as a bigger carbon sink than oceans, a perspective that has gained traction over the last decade.
Calculating a carbon budget also requires measuring how much carbon plants release back into the atmosphere. This is best done through direct observation, which Burman’s team accomplished using various instruments and techniques, including the Eddy Covariance method. This technique monitors gas exchanges in real-time, collecting data at a rate ten times a second, far surpassing the daily measurements from satellites.
The research also looked at plant physiology, noting that during the pre-monsoon, plants are larger compared to their size in the monsoon. “You can see the difference in plant growth,” Burman remarked.
Looking ahead, the team aims to analyze Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) datasets, which measure total carbon absorbed via photosynthesis. This analysis will help clarify uncertainties in existing ground-based and satellite data, especially important for India’s carbon cycle projections.
Burman noted that while earlier research used outdated datasets, his team is validating current data to ensure accurate future predictions.
Understanding these dynamics is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing climate strategies. It’s a vital step toward a more sustainable future.
For more insights on carbon emissions and climate change, you can read further about related studies and findings in trusted publications.
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Climate change,CO2 emissions,Kaziranga
