by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
Plant diversity<\/strong> helps meadows and pastures adapt to climate change: when changing conditions put dominant plants under stress, others can grow in their place and help maintain biomass production. The loss of this diversity reduces grasslands\u2019 ability to adapt, with consequences for CO\u2082 uptake through photosynthesis, forage availability and soil carbon stocks. These findings come from a study<\/a> by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)<\/strong> and Kiel University<\/strong>, published in P<\/em>roceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/em> (PNAS<\/em>).<\/p>\n \u201cClimate change could reduce the productivity of plants that at the moment dominate pastures and meadows. But if plant diversity is maintained, other plants that cope better with climate impacts have the chance to become more prominent and stem the decline\u201d, explained<\/a> Stephen Wirth<\/strong>, a PIK researcher and lead author of the study, in a statement.<\/p>\n