Vegetation cover may have an even greater effect on climate change than has been previously thought, according to a new study published in Trends in Plant Science.

An article in Ecos Magazine outlines how research suggests current climate models may underestimate the full impact of forest vegetation on rainfall, meaning the potential consequences of land-cover change on global temperature increase can’t be assessed with certainty.

While current climate models take into account the physical properties of forests, they do not fully reflect transpiration.

“Transpiration from vegetation may contribute as much as 90 per cent of the moisture in the atmosphere derived from land surfaces — far more than earlier estimates,” says the article. Trees produce flows of water vapor that are typically more than 10 times greater than from herbaceous vegetation per unit of land area.

The findings suggest that deforestation may cause more erratic rainfall. It disrupts precipitation and makes it more variable, not only by reducing transpiration and cloud formation, but also by slowing or disrupting the flow of air inland from coastal areas.

Read the full story: New research shows plants and rain may have a deeper connection