# Arctic peatlands are expanding as the climate warms. New research shows this is a change that could slow global heating in the near term but have the opposite effect in future. These carbon-rich reservoirs, composed of partially decayed organic matter, only cover three percent of Earth’s surface, and generally fade out in the far north, where harsh weather limits plant growth. But warmer temperatures caused by climate change have improved growing conditions for plants in the Arctic, and satellite data has shown a general “greening” of this frosty region.
Arctic peatlands could slow global heating in the near term, but after that has the opposite effect