Final answer:
Increased atmospheric CO2 from emissions has led to climate change that alters precipitation patterns, contributing to more severe droughts and affecting forest ecosystems. Elevated CO2 also stimulates plant growth, potentially increasing wildfire fuel and impacting biodiversity. The resulting positive feedback loop further intensifies the changes in climate and drought conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
CO2 emissions have profoundly influenced climate change, which in turn affects drought conditions. The prevailing evidence indicates that an increase in atmospheric CO2 exacerbates global warming, leading to alterations in precipitation patterns and increased temperatures. This combination tends to provoke more frequent and severe droughts. In the context of a forest with high stomatal density, mature trees under drought stress may have to close their stomata to conserve water, reducing photosynthesis and growth, and potentially leading to tree mortality. As trees die, carbon sequestration diminishes, creating a positive feedback loop that exacerbates climate change and further intensifies drought conditions.
Moreover, the elevated CO2 levels can lead to increased plant productivity, particularly in C3 plants, resulting in denser vegetation that may act as fuel for wildfires. An increased frequency and intensity of wildfires in response to climate change could radically transform ecosystems and their resilience to drought. Additionally, the change in climate can push organisms' habitable zones, affecting entire ecosystems and possibly leading to species extinctions.