MINSK, 26 February (BelTA) – The vegetation cover in Belarus has increased, Director of the Institute of Nature Management of the Belarus National Academy of Sciences (NASB), Head of the Climate Change Department, Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Sergei Lysenko told the media, BelTA learned.
“The climate change has led to increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is good for the majority of plants, since carbon dioxide contributes to photosynthesis. According to the satellite data, the planet has become greener since the beginning of the century. China and India can take the majority of the credit, but increased vegetation is seen in Europe as well. The satellite imagery shows that aboveground biomass is increasing in Belarus,” the director noted. He added that the climate change damages conifers, but is good for some deciduous.
“Due to warm winter in Belarus less energy is use. Public utilities saved a lot, and transport infrastructure benefits from it [climate change], except for river transportation as rivers have been growing shallow. As for agriculture, the country will need to resort to irrigation, to switch to more heat-loving and drought-resistant crops. But this can also be a positive factor, because the duration of the growing season increases,” Sergei Lysenko believes.
