Cold-weather microbes

CO2 producing microbes like cold

In an interesting twist for ecology, it appears that reduced snow cover in the mountains causes cold-weather microbes to produce less CO2. Reduced snow cover is attributable to global climate change (higher tempatures, less precipitation). But ironically that results in these cold-weather microbes producing less CO2 (and thus contributing less to global warming).

It all starts with the microbes in dirt. Not something most people think about, but each handful of dirt is full of them. And these particular microbes like the temperature right around freezing in the moist soil beneath the snow. And the emit CO2. Nature is cool.