Little-Known Microbes Could Be an Early Warning Signal of Climate Tipping Point — Increased heat levels migh |
, have demonstrated that a significant majority of global oceanic plankton, along with numerous unicellular organisms inhabiting lakes, peatlands, and other ecosystems, might reach a tipping point. Here, instead of absorbing carbon dioxide, they begin to do the opposite. This change is a result of the way their metabolism responds to warming.
Most of the plankton in the ocean — things like diatoms, dinoflagellates — are mixotrophs. They’re also common in lakes, peatlands, in damp soils, and beneath fallen leaves. To understand how these impacts might scale up, the researchers developed a mathematical model to predict how mixotrophs might shift between different modes of metabolism as the climate continues to warm.Celsius
The models suggest that, eventually, we could see these microbes reach a tipping point — a threshold beyond which they suddenly flip from carbon sink to carbon source, having a net warming effect instead of a cooling one. “Right before a tipping point, their abundances suddenly start to fluctuate wildly,” Wieczynski said. “If you went out in nature and you saw a sudden change from relatively steady abundances to rapid fluctuations, you would know it’s coming.”
When Wieczynski and his colleagues included higher amounts of such nutrients in their models, they found that the range of temperatures over which the telltale fluctuations occur starts to shrink until eventually the signal disappears and the tipping point arrives with no apparent warning.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Cases of Little-Known Virus Surged During Spring — Here's What to Know About hMPVDid you or anyone you know get sick at some point during the spring, but tested negative for COVID — despite having very similar symptoms? It may have been a much lesser-known virus that surged for months — here's what to know about hMPV
Lire la suite »
Little-known camera app on your phone unlocks amazing perkDiscover 'The Magnifier' app on your phone in order to use your iPhone as a magnifying glass, which is already installed on your phone upon purchase it.
Lire la suite »
Bruce Springsteen's 'Darkness on the Edge of Town': Little-Known FactsOn the 45th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town,' here are 10 things you didn’t know about the gritty classic.
Lire la suite »
Students build little library for Little Canyon ParkStudents at Sevilla West Elementary School are working alongside construction engineers to help renovate their community park.
Lire la suite »
‘Teaming With Microbes’ podcast: Bark beetles, root maggots and worms'Teaming With Microbes' podcast: In this episode, Alaska gardening writer Jeff Lowenfels and cohost Jonathan White emphasize the importance of patience and caring for the soil food web as plants mature.
Lire la suite »
Sister of one of Raul Meza's first known victims speaks out after his recent arrestAfter Raul Meza's most recent arrest, the sister of an 8-year-old girl he raped and murdered in the early 1980s is speaking out.
Lire la suite »