shrubification

Definition

The process by which landscapes that were previously dominated by grasses, mosses, or low-lying plants become overtaken by the growth of taller shrubs.

Etymology

This word is a modern portmanteau and scientific neologism, formed by combining 'shrub' with the suffix '-ification,' which denotes a process of becoming or turning into something.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe how rising temperatures in the Arctic are allowing larger shrubs to move into areas where they previously couldn't survive, which accelerates climate change by trapping heat.

A lush knee-high jungle grows in the Arctic, but warming is changing Earth's mini-greenhouse

yoursun.com

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