Ozone gas is contributing to a reduction in the growth of tropical forests.
This impact results in a significant reduction in the carbon sequestration potential of these forests.
Due to ozone's effect, an estimated 290 million tonnes of carbon remain uncaptured each year.
This uncaptured carbon would otherwise be stored in the biomass of tropical forests, contributing to mitigating climate change.
On average, ground-level ozone causes a 5.1% reduction in the annual new growth of tropical forests.
This percentage represents a significant slowdown in the natural growth processes of these ecosystems.
The reduction in growth is not uniform across all regions; some areas experience stronger effects than others.
This suggests that certain regions may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of ozone pollution on their forests.
Researchers conducted controlled experiments to measure how susceptible different tropical tree species are to ozone exposure.
These experiments provided crucial data on how various species respond to ozone pollution, which informed their broader conclusions.
The researchers integrated the experimental results into a sophisticated computer model that simulates global vegetation.
This model allowed them to predict the overall impact of ozone on tropical forests at a global scale and to estimate the reduction in carbon capture.
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