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Warmer Climate, Colder Soil

EXTREME WEATHER OFTEN TAKES CENTER STAGE IN DISCUSSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.  BUT WE’LL PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON SOME OF THE INDIRECT EFFECTS OF A HOTTER CLIMATE ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

PETER GROFFMAN, SENIOR SCIENTIST AT THE INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES IN NEW YORK, SAYS A WARMER WORLD MEANS FEWER FLURRIES - AND WITHOUT A COVER OF SNOW TO INSULATE THEM, SOME FOREST ECOSYSTEMS COULD BE IN JEOPARDY. IF THE SOIL FREEZES, PLANT ROOTS WILL DIE, AND NUTRIENTS WILL BE LOST.

GROFFMAN: THESE FORESTS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAVE EXISTED IN A STATE WHERE THEY DON’T FREEZE AND NOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE SWITCHING INTO THIS STATE WHERE THEY FREEZE A LOT.

GROFFMAN BELIEVES INDIRECT EFFECTS SUCH AS THIS MAY DOMINATE FUTURE DISCUSSIONS OF GLOBAL WARMING.

GROFFMAN: THE CHANGES DUE TO SNOW OR SOIL FREEZING ARE PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SIMPLE CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE IN OUR REGION AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE INDIRECT EFFECTS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

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