The earth's oceans, forests and other ecosystems continue to eat up to half of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from human activities, despite the growth of the latter, according to the employees at the University of Colorado and the National oceanic and atmospheric administration research (both - USA).

The researchers analyzed a half-century base of measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and concluded that the Earth's ecosystems, absorbing this greenhouse gas, is not yet full to capacity.

Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere mainly through the burning of fossil fuels, and as a result of forest fires and some natural processes. Then some part of gas stored in the tissues of plants and the oceans, allowing global warming to some extent slowed down. But a number of studies have shown that very soon sewers nature will not be able to keep up with the growth of emissions. If this happens, there is a more rapid increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide than it is predicted that undesirable impact on climate change.

However Ashley Ballantyne the University of Colorado and his colleagues have not seen a more rapid growth. According to their estimates, on the whole ecosystems continue to pull about half of the anthropogenic emissions. Because today we produce much more carbon dioxide than in 1960, and the planet now absorbs twice more than half a century ago.

The rest continues to accumulate in the atmosphere, accelerating global warming.

The new analysis also suggests that scientists still do not fully understand the natural processes that lead to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and therefore a mistake about the importance of planting of new forests and the importance of measures to increase the absorptive capacity of the ocean. Therefore, we do not need to rely heavily on them in our forecasts.

The study is published in the journal Nature.

Based on the materials of the National oceanic and atmospheric administration research.