Carbon dioxide encourages plant gowth, but thirsty plants reduce water flows

R

ising carbon dioxide concentrations are causing vegetation across large parts of Australia to grow more quickly, in turn consuming more water and reducing flows into river basins.

Carbon dioxide increases plant growth, but
thirsty plants flows into river basins.

Our research, published today in Nature Climate Change, shows that river flows have decreased by 24-28% in a large part of Australia due to increasing CO₂ levels, which have risen by 14% since the early 1980s.

This could exacerbate water scarcity in several populated and agriculturally important regions.

Read the story about this complicating impact of climate change on The Conversation by a Research Associate, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Anna Ukkola; and the Professor of Water Science and Management, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Albert Van Dijk - “Riverflows drop as carbon dioxide creates thirstier plants”.