NASA | Plant Productivity in a Warming World

The video discusses the impact of climate change on plant growth, highlighting that while warmer temperatures and increased precipitation initially benefited plants, recent trends show that these benefits are now outweighed by frequent droughts. Research using satellite data indicates a net decrease in primary production from 2000 to 2009. The video explains the role of plants in the carbon cycle and the importance of monitoring changes in primary production. It also presents visual data on carbon removal by plants and concludes with the implications of climate variability on natural resources and carbon levels.

What factors associated with climate change were generally good for plant growth in the 1980s and 90s?

How have rising temperatures affected the benefits to plant growth according to the updated analysis?

What does primary production measure in the context of plant growth?

What impact did the severe drought in Africa in 2005 have on crops and carbon fixation?

Why is it critical to monitor large scale changes in plant growth and carbon levels?