Monday, June 20, 2011

Suggestion: Global warming will lead to heavier, more prolonged snow in the Arctic, which will encourage deadly fungus

Arctic snow harbors deadly assassin | Science Blog
Heavy and prolonged snowfall can bring about unexpected conditions that encourage fungal growth, leading to the death of plants in the Arctic, according to experts.

A new international study confirms that whilst snow has an insulating effect which helps plants to grow bigger, heavy and prolonged snow can, in certain circumstances, also encourage the rapid and extensive growth of killer fungal strains.
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Co-author of the report, Johan Olofsson, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden, said: “We set out to look at the effects of climate change and the potential of heavier precipitation and snowfall on plants and the processes that influence growth, decomposition and soil nutrients.

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