Articles | Volume 11, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1701-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1701-2015
Research article
 | 
16 Dec 2015
Research article |  | 16 Dec 2015

Climate-vegetation modelling and fossil plant data suggest low atmospheric CO2 in the late Miocene

M. Forrest, J. T. Eronen, T. Utescher, G. Knorr, C. Stepanek, G. Lohmann, and T. Hickler

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Short summary
We simulated Late Miocene (11-7 Million years ago) vegetation using two plausible CO2 concentrations: 280ppm CO2 and 450ppm CO2. We compared the simulated vegetation to existing plant fossil data for the whole Northern Hemisphere. Our results suggest that during the Late Miocene the CO2 levels have been relatively low, or that other factors that are not included in the models maintained the seasonal temperate forests and open vegetation.