This is a big deal as desert areas increase year after year.
According to a new scientific study, arid areas absorb unexpected amounts of carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. In other words, these areas can serve as a “sink” for significant levels of carbon dioxide, removing it from the atmosphere and storing it in the ground. When you think that these extreme ecosystems are among the biggest on the planet, then it becomes exciting! The study is presented in the video below:
The findings give scientists a better handle on the earth’s carbon budget – how much carbon remains in the atmosphere as CO2, contributing to global warming, and how much gets stored in the land or ocean in other carbon-containing forms.