Vegetation feedback during the mid-Pliocene warm period was analyzed. The main features of vegetation change in the mid-Pliocene are the northward shift of the needleleaf tree, the expansion of the broadleaf tree and shrubs, and the northward expansion of grass, as compared to the pre-industrial period. These vegetation changes have greater warming effects in the northern middle and high latitudes especially in eastern North America and the eastern Eurasia. The global warming ratio by vegetation change is 12.1%, but this ratio is much bigger in the northern middle and high latitudes. The warming caused by vegetation change is directly related to the surface albedo change and is further amplified by snow/sea ice–albedo feedback. 

Citation: ZHANG Ran and JIANG Dabang, Impact of Vegetation Feedback on the Mid-Pliocene Warm Climate. Adv. Atmos. Sci., doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4015-5.  

The contribution of vegetation changes ([AV(MP)–AV(PI)]–[A(MP)–A(PI)]) to annual mean SAT (a, units: °C), precipitation (b, units: mm d?1), surface albedo (c) and sea ice fraction (d) in the mid-Pliocene compared to the pre-industrial period. Areas with confidence levels greater than 95% (using the Student’s t-test) are dotted.