Botanists from Trinity College have discovered that “penny-pinching” evergreen species such as Christmas favourites, holly and ivy, are more climate change-ready in the face of warming temperatures than deciduous “big-spending” water consumers like birch and oak. As such, they are more likely to prosper in the near future – with this pattern set to be felt more strongly in cooler climates, such as Ireland’s.
Theory predicts that rising global carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in our atmosphere will make the world’s trees grow in a more water-efficient way but, until now, few studies have tested these predictions. The Trinity team’s research shows that atmospheric CO2 rise over the last 25 years has already had a demonstrable impact on the water use of forests, making them more water-wise. However, not all tree species behave in the same way.
Professor of Botany at Trinity, Jennifer McElwain, led the research that has just been published in leading international journal, Science Advances. She said:
Remarkably, we found that with rising CO2 evergreen trees and shrubs are more efficient in using water than deciduous plants in cooler climate locations, but there is no evidence for such a pattern in parts of the world with warmer climates."
Read more at Trinity College Dublin
Image: Dr Soh with part of the research team in Seaqaqa, Fiji. The research took them all over the globe. (Credit: Dr Wuu-Kuang Soh)