Planetary plant shifts

Earth’s changing climate has caused significant changes in worldwide vegetation since the 1980s, according to New Zealand scientists who developed a new mapping and monitoring system.

University of Otago botany researcher Steven Higgins says that 13 percent of Earth’s vegetation areas have changed.

“This suggests that substantial shifts in the character of the Earth’s surface are underway,” said Higgins.

The study found that while deserts are expanding in some places, other areas are getting greener.