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Science 31 October 1997:
Vol. 278. no. 5339, p. 777
DOI: 10.1126/science.278.5339.777h
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This Week in Science
Previous assessments of global terrestrial responses to climate change have focused on direct responses to change in carbon dioxide or temperature. These near-instantaneous responses include, for example, the effects of increased temperature on photosynthesis and respiration. However, field ecologists have repeatedly suggested that indirect responses, such as feedbacks through soil water storage or nutrient cycling, may be more important. Braswell et al. (p. 870; see the news story by Williams, p. 802) offer a global assessment of direct versus indirect effects, and demonstrate the importance of indirect effects. The results also provide evidence at the global scale for major differences between biomes in both the direction and strength of these indirect effects: Large-scale modification of global ecosystems could alter the response of the biosphere to climate change.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
