Grass output in Kruger rose 28 per cent, natural tropical regrowth came in up to 96 per cent cheaper than planting, and warmer tanks cut the durable share of seagrass carbon by about 28 per cent.
Science··Midday
Kruger grasses grew more, but the gain did not turn into storage
The Nature paper reads long-run field measurements from South Africa’s Kruger National Park alongside controlled carbon dioxide experiments. According to the Phys.org summary, grass production rose 28 per cent between 1989 and 2021, with the largest increase in the driest parts of the park. The authors relate that pattern to carbon dioxide fertilisation. The same paper stresses that more grass does not automatically mean more stored carbon, because the extra growth can be eaten or burned quickly, and hotter, drier conditions may weaken the effect.[1]
In tropical forests, the cheapest recovery was the one that came back on its own
A separate study in Nature Ecology & Evolution argues that tropical forest does not always need to be restored by planting seedlings everywhere. Phys.org reports that the Queensland and Newcastle teams calculated natural regeneration could reach the same restoration goals for up to 96 per cent less cost than planting programmes. Jiaqi Li says that in many places the route mainly depends on removing invasive species, keeping seed sources intact, and holding back fire and grazing. The study also reports that naturally regrown forest can hold more carbon and more species than planted forest. On land, that means the cost of recovery does not require the same engineering intensity everywhere.[2]
In seagrass, warming shrank the most durable carbon share
At sea, the picture moved in the opposite direction. In an experiment published in Communications Earth & Environment, researchers tracked the dissolved organic carbon released by seagrasses and algae. According to the Phys.org summary, a 4 degree Celsius rise cut the long-lived share that normally stays in the ocean for a long time by about 28 per cent. The setup leaves out currents, storms and long-term shifts in which species live where, so it is a simplified coastline. But the result shows that warmer waters can change not only how much biomass is produced, but how much of it can persist as durable carbon storage.[3]
