Climate change

New Zealand’s forests and other land areas may be absorbing up to 60% more carbon dioxide than has been calculated, with much of this uptake likely occurring in native forests, NIWA scientists have discovered.

This project demonstrates how to assess high value alternative land-use options by means of a quantitative analysis of the growing potential of selected niche crops and tree species.

To prepare for changes in climate, our freshwater and oceans decision-makers need information on species vulnerability to climate change.

Developing probabilistic scenarios of expected future regional climate changes.

New Zealand has just experienced its warmest winter on record, according to official NIWA climate data.

Ocean acidification is the name given to the lowering of pH of the oceans as a result of increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect is a warming of the earth's surface and lower atmosphere caused by substances which let the sun's energy through to the ground but impede the passage of energy from the earth back into space.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is charged with assessing the most up to date scientific, technical and socio-economic research on climate change.

Projections of how climate change is likely to affect New Zealand.

Effects of climate change on fish are being studied at NIWA's Northland Marine Research Centre.