If the soil in these forests is heated, fungi that feed on dead plant material dry and a much less global warming carbon dioxide mushrooms in the cooler, wetter soils. This was a surprise for the researchers, with more warm soil to push large volumes of carbon dioxide extreme cold, because it is believed to slow down the process by which soil fungi convert carbon soil into carbon dioxide.

You should take note that carbon cycle of forests is important to accurately predict the global climate warming, which in turn, guides public policy to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. This is particularly important in the northern forests, an estimated 30 percent of the earth soil carbon, the amount of atmospheric carbon.

“We are not a vicious circle of heating dry, boreal forests. Instead we have the contrary, if the warming actually prevent further warming will occur,” said Steven Allison, ecology and evolutionary biology professor and assistant principal author of the study. “The land of natural processes could give us some time to implement responsible policies to combat global warming. ”

Soils in the north contain a high amount of dead carbon from grasses, trees and shrubs. Like humans, fungi and bacteria in the soil of plants use carbon as a food source and convert it into carbon dioxide.

Allison and his colleague, Kathleen Treseder, has tried to find out what happens with the levels of carbon dioxide boreal forest, where the soil does not contain permafrost has warmed. Approximately one third of the world’s boreal forests contain no permafrost, mostly in Alaska, Canada, western Siberia and northern Europe.

Global warming is expected to be the most northern latitudes, the rise in temperatures 5 through 7 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

The scientists, their experience in a pine forest near Fairbanks, Alaska. They have small greenhouses and identified similar near unheated areas serve as a control. Both areas receive equal amounts of water.

In mid-May, when he started growing season, air and soil temperatures were the same in greenhouses and control plots. If greenhouses were closed, the air temperature is around 5 degrees Celsius, the temperature and the soil is about 1 degree.

Scientists have taken measures in unheated greenhouses and plots and found that by the end of the season in mid-August, the soil in heated greenhouses produces about half more carbon dioxide in the soil cooler than control plots.

A soil analysis showed that about half as much active in samples of fungi were experimental greenhouse in comparison with samples from the controls. When dried mushrooms, whether they die or no longer active and stop producing carbon dioxide, scientists have said.

“It is random for the man, the mushrooms are negatively affected by this warming,” said Treseder, ecology and evolutionary biology Associate Professor. “It is not so great for mushrooms, but could help offset some” carbon we put directly into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossil fuels. “