NASA Maps How Nutrients Affect Plant Productivity PASADENA,
Calif. - A new analysis led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif., has estimated how much the growth of plants
worldwide is limited by the amount of nutrients available in
their soil. The maps produced from the research will be
particularly useful in evaluating how much carbon dioxide
Earth's ecosystems may be able to soak up as greenhouse gas
levels increase. A research team led by JPL research scientist
Josh Fisher used 19 years of data from NASA, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and international satellites to
assess the maximum possible growth of vegetation all over the
world based upon available water and light conditions. The
scientists then cross-compared that potential maximum with
observed vegetation productivity as measured by satellites. This
is the first time such an analysis has been conducted. The map,
published recently in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles,
shows the places where vegetation product