"Global Warming" plants adapt...regulating photosynthetic capacity

[Anchor]
As the Earth is getting hotter, a study has found that plants are adapting to survive global warming.

It is to control photosynthesis ability to match the higher temperature, and this characteristic has been prominent, especially in places with enough water.

Reporter Jang Ah-young reports.

[Reporter]
Photosynthesis in plants increases with increasing temperature, and decreases with increasing temperature above a certain temperature.

The temperature at which photosynthesis works best is called the 'optimal temperature'
It has been confirmed that the optimum temperature of the
plant community rises together as the Earth heats up.

This is the result of observations with more than 200 'flux towers' around the world, from cold tundra to temperate agricultural land and rainforests.

Flux towers use 'Eddie covariance' to calculate how much carbon is released and absorbed over a long period of time.

Plant communities maintained or even improved their photosynthetic capacity as temperatures rose.

[RYU YOUNG RYEOL / Professor of Systems Engineering in Landscape Area, Seoul National University] Regarding the rising temperature, if they keep their existing photosynthesis characteristics, photosynthesis may decrease, but they will gradually improve their photosynthesis ability according to the rising energy..]

However, this ability has been lost in extreme heat and moisture conditions such as heat waves and droughts.

The ability to adapt to temperature decreases in water-poor African grasslands, and it is found to be the strongest in human-managed agricultural land.

[RYU YOUNG RYEOL / Professor of Systems Engineering, Landscape Area, Seoul National University] It conforms to photosynthesis, but on the other hand, when there are disturbances such as heat waves, droughts, or natural changes, it will not be able to improve photosynthesis.]

Plants have an incredible ability to balance themselves with changing environments, but

Human activity can neutralize even this self-cleaning ability, researchers warn.

This year's average global temperature has already exceeded the 1.5℃ climate disaster Maginot Line.

I'm YTN's Jang Ayoung.


Video editing: Joo Hye-min
Design: Lee Ga-eun
Screen provided by Seoul National University, NEON