Ancient warming thinned forests, reducing carbon storage
Researchers report that forests thinned dramatically during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum about 56 million years ago after massive volcanic greenhouse gas release, reducing their ability to store carbon. Led by Regan Dunn, the team analyzed epidermal cell shapes from fossil leaves in Wyoming's Hanna Basin and calibrated those shapes to modern leaf area index to estimate canopy density, finding an average 35% LAI decline and about a 61% drop at PETM onset. They attribute the decline to drought and heat stress and warn modern forests could follow similar patterns, worsening climate feedbacks and lowering aboveground carbon storage.
Rapid warming thinned forests and reduced carbon storage
Context
About 56 million years ago, volcanic greenhouse gases triggered the PETM and rapid…
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