Ancient CO2 surge browns forests, underscoring risks of fossil-fuel emissions
TL;DR
A new study of fossilized leaf cuticles from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum shows forests thickened briefly but then collapsed as CO2 rose, browning the planet rather than greening it; the current rapid carbon release, with heat and drought, threatens widespread tree mortality and may outpace recovery, underscoring the need to curb fossil fuel use.
- Fossils show huge carbon emissions harm forests, not ‘green the planet’ theguardian.com
- Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened The Conversation
- Paleontologists reconstruct forests of 56 million years ago with chilling parallels for our warming planet Phys.org
- Forests Withered During an Ancient Warming Episode. History Could Repeat Itself Gizmodo
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