Warmer, Snow-Free Winters May Increase Carbon Dioxide Losses in Forests, Gains on Farms
New England’s warmer, snow-free winters may increase carbon dioxide losses in forests, where deciduous trees can’t take advantage of warm temperatures before their leaves emerge. However, farms cultivating grasses have a greater potential to start growing in the winter “dormant season,” perhaps partially offsetting the increasing winter carbon losses from forests, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.