TY - JOUR

T1 - Enhanced woody biomass production in a mature temperate forest under elevated CO2

AU - Norby, R.J.

AU - Loader, Neil

AU - Mayoral, Carolina

AU - Ullah, Sami

AU - Curioni, Giulio

AU - Smith, Andy

AU - Reay, Michaela K

AU - van Wijngaarden, Klaske

AU - Amjad, Muhammad Shoaib

AU - Brettle, Deanne

AU - Crockatt, Martha E.

AU - Denny, Gael

AU - Grzesik, Robert T.

AU - Hamilton, R. Liz

AU - Hart, Kris M.

AU - Hartley, Iain P.

AU - Jones, Alan G.

AU - Kourmouli, Angeliki

AU - Larsen, Joshua R.

AU - Shi, Zongbo

AU - Thomas, Rick M.

AU - MacKenzie, A. Robert

N1 - Dear Author, Your paper, 'Enhanced woody biomass production in a mature temperate forest under elevated CO2', has been scheduled for publication in Nature Climate Change on 12 August 2024 at 10:00 (London time), 12 August 2024 at 05:00 (US Eastern Time). The embargo will lift at this time. Please forward this information to any co-authors. You may also wish to make your media relations office aware of the forthcoming publication, in case they consider it appropriate to organize some internal or external publicity. The DOI number for your paper will be 10.1038/s41558-024-02090-3. Once your paper has been published online, it will be available at the following URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02090-3

PY - 2024/7/12

Y1 - 2024/7/12

N2 - Enhanced CO2 assimilation by forests as atmospheric CO2 concentration rises could slow the rate of CO2 increase if the assimilated carbon is allocated to long-lived biomass. Experiments in young tree plantations support a CO2 fertilization effect as atmospheric CO2 continues to increase. Uncertainty exists, however, as to whether older, more mature forests retain the capacity to respond to elevated CO2. Here we show, aided by tree-ring analysis and canopy laser scanning, that a 180-year-old Quercus robur L. woodland in central England increased the production of woody biomass when exposed to free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) for seven years. Further, elevated CO2 increased exudation of carbon from fine roots into the soil with likely effects on nutrient cycles. The increase in tree growth and allocation to long-lived woody biomass, demonstrated here, substantiates the major role for mature temperate forests in climate change mitigation.

AB - Enhanced CO2 assimilation by forests as atmospheric CO2 concentration rises could slow the rate of CO2 increase if the assimilated carbon is allocated to long-lived biomass. Experiments in young tree plantations support a CO2 fertilization effect as atmospheric CO2 continues to increase. Uncertainty exists, however, as to whether older, more mature forests retain the capacity to respond to elevated CO2. Here we show, aided by tree-ring analysis and canopy laser scanning, that a 180-year-old Quercus robur L. woodland in central England increased the production of woody biomass when exposed to free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) for seven years. Further, elevated CO2 increased exudation of carbon from fine roots into the soil with likely effects on nutrient cycles. The increase in tree growth and allocation to long-lived woody biomass, demonstrated here, substantiates the major role for mature temperate forests in climate change mitigation.

U2 - 10.1038/s41558-024-02090-3

DO - 10.1038/s41558-024-02090-3

M3 - Article

JO - Nature Climate Change

JF - Nature Climate Change

SN - 1758-678X

ER -