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Scientists Calculated When The Last Plants on Earth Will Die
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- New research from planetary scientists estimates that Earth's plant life could survive for up to 1.87 billion years despite the Sun's increasing brightness, which will eventually threaten plant survival by baking or choking them out.
- The study used 3D climate models to simulate Earth's future, considering solar brightening and atmospheric CO2 levels, with scenarios showing plants dying either from CO2 starvation or extreme heat.
- The maximum vegetative biosphere lifetime aligns closely with the expected lifetime of Earth's oceans, suggesting plants could persist until Earth begins to lose its water.
- The study does not account for potential evolutionary adaptations in plants or technological interventions like geoengineering, which could extend plant survival on Earth or beyond.
- Researchers emphasize the resilience of life and propose that Earth's biosphere could endure as long as the planet itself, offering a hopeful outlook for the future of life on Earth.
