Environmental News Network - Amazon’s Growth Limited by Lack of Phosphorus

Details: By University of Exeter; 10.Aug

Growth of the Amazon rainforest in our increasingly carbon-rich atmosphere could be limited by a lack of phosphorus in the soil, new research shows.

Julie Swatson

Growth of the Amazon rainforest in our increasingly carbon-rich atmosphere could be limited by a lack of phosphorus in the soil, new research shows.

Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) cause plants to grow more quickly, meaning they store more carbon.

This storage – especially in huge forests like the Amazon – helps to limit rising CO2 levels, slowing climate change.

However, plants also need nutrients to grow, and the new study shows that availability of a particular nutrient, phosphorus, could limit the Amazon's ability to increase productivity (growth rate) as CO2 rises.

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Amazon’s Growth Limited by Lack of Phosphorus