United StatesSouthern Hemisphere conifer plantations grow up to 4 times faster.
That makes them candidates for carbon sinks, as afforestation pushes to plant trees where none grew.
The 192-site study in Nature found the trees skip the usual growth-versus-stress trade-off, carrying more sugar and starch reserves.
Alex Fajardo of the University of Talca said plantations carry “high biodiversity and social costs.”
Researchers say the exact cause of the drought resilience needs more study.
How each outlet framed it
drawn from 150+ reports worldwide
- Phys.org
- contrasts 4x faster, more drought-tolerant growth abroad with trade-off theory; warns planting outside home ranges has drawbacks
Sources: Phys.org