Ancient ozone holes may have sterilized forests 252 million years ago
Barren trees could have collapsed food webs, leading to Earth’s greatest mass extinction
By
Carolyn Gramling
7:00am, February 12, 2018
Volcano-fueled holes in Earth’s ozone layer 252 million years ago may have repeatedly sterilized large swaths of forest, setting the stage for the world’s largest mass extinction event. Such holes would have allowed ultraviolet-B radiation to blast the planet. Even radiation levels below those predicted for the end of the Permian period damage trees’ abilities to make seeds, researchers report February 7 in Science Advances.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-ozone-holes-may-have-sterilized-forests-252-million-years-ago?mode=topic&context=60
