An Interesting Side To Climate

Tree roots in the mountains 'acted like a thermostat' for millions of years
by Staff Writers
Oxford, UK (SPX) Feb 12, 2014

For the first time, scientists have discovered how tree roots in the mountains may play an important role in controlling long-term global temperatures. Researchers from Oxford and Sheffield Universities have found that temperatures affect the thickness of the leaf litter and organic soil layers, as well as the rate at which the tree roots grow.

In a warmer world, this means that tree roots are more likely to grow into the mineral layer of the soil, breaking down rock into component parts which will eventually combine with carbon dioxide. This process, called weathering, draws carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and cools the planet. The researchers say this theory suggests that mountainous ecosystems have acted like the Earth's thermostat, addressing the risk of 'catastrophic' overheating or cooling over millions of years...

How much have the mountains been de-forested? How many other thermostats are there, and have they been compromised?

For if all the phenomena we attribute to Climate Change are in truth normal climate variability, then by removing the "thermostats" which are the control mechanisms on the process, have we entered into a new and never before experienced period of instability?

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