New research shows plants absorb 31% more CO2 than previously estimated, raising the global Terrestrial Gross Primary Production (GPP) to 157 petagrams* per year. Using carbonyl sulfide as a proxy for photosynthesis, this study highlights tropical rainforests’ critical role as carbon sinks and stresses the importance of accurate photosynthesis modeling for climate predictions.
* One petagram equals 1 billion metric tons, which is roughly the amount of CO2 emitted each year from 238 million gas-powered passenger vehicles.
