The aim of my research is to understand the future of carbon allocation in mature forests, with particular focus on the impact of elevated carbon dioxide on root dynamics. I graduated with an Msci in Biological Sciences from the University of Birmingham in 2022 and am currently a second year NERC CENTA funded PhD Student based at the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Free Air Carbon Enrichment (BIFoR FACE) experiment. Globally, this is the only experiment elevating the CO₂ concentrations of a mature temperate forest to those predicted in 2050.
BIFoR FACE - Birmingham Institute of Forest Research - University of Birmingham
22
Root Dynamics Under Elevated CO2 in a Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) Experiment
Evidence suggests that forests can sequester more carbon under elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2), yet it remains unclear where and for how long this carbon is stored. To sustain photosynthetic enhancement, trees require higher intake of nutrients which should stimulate root growth. We are exploring the hypothesis that fine root biomass and proliferation will increase, and be higher at greater depths, because of eCO2, through an ongoing study at the BIFoR FACE experiment. Here, a mature, temperate forest is subject to the 2050 predicted atmospheric CO2 concentrations. For ambient and elevated CO2 treatments, dry biomass of fine roots alongside morphological traits were assessed using 1m soil cores. On average, total fine root biomass was 40% higher under eCO2 when considering the 1m soil core as a whole. When looking at individual depth profiles, average fine root biomass was >35% higher under eCO2 in all depths down to 50cm. Increases in fine root biomass were as a result of increasing total root length. These results suggest that trees increase root proliferation consistently to a depth of 50cm to increase the volume of soil exploited under eCO2. These results contribute to improving models projecting the future of forests as global carbon sinks.