Rising CO2 slows desertification, but arid lands will still cover 40% of earth

According to research published in Environmental Research Letters, by the end of the 21st century arid regions could expand by 2.37 million km²—a surface area comparable to Algeria. However, scientists discovered a paradoxical buffering mechanism: rising atmospheric CO2 levels, the main cause of warming, simultaneously limit the planet's drying rate through plant physiology. Despite this effect, the overall desertification trend remains concerning.

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