Researchers Pumped Extra CO2 Into A Forest, And Biodiversity Thrived; UK's Low Food Production; + Personal Carbon Credits, Another Tool For Control

Increased CO2 levels enhance life’s biological processes.

Researchers Pumped Extra CO2 Into A Forest, And Biodiversity Thrived

The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) conducted a study on a 180-year-old oak forest, revealing that elevated CO2 levels (140 ppm above ambient) resulted in a 9.8% increase in woody biomass over seven years.

Using Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology, the trees absorbed more CO2, particularly into wood, which stores carbon for longer periods. The study found that the additional carbon led to increased exudation from fine roots, enhancing nutrient cycling in the soil, which further supports ecosystem growth.

The researchers analyzed tree rings and conducted laser scans of the canopy to assess tree growth and carbon sequestration.

Interestingly, while overall net primary productivity (NPP) increased by an average of 10.6%, most of this boost was attributed to wood production rather than to increases in other tissues. This suggests that mature temperate forests, previously thought to have limited responses to increased CO2, could play a more active role in carbon sequestration than expected.

Moreover, the study found that elevated CO2 resulted in a 43-63% increase in root exudation, which stimulates soil microbial activity and enhances nutrient availability, further improving forest growth dynamics and biodiversity.

The study—likely in order to get published—insists that while forests like these are crucial carbon sinks, they are not a substitute for reducing fossil fuel emissions. Over time, wood decomposes, and the stored carbon is eventually released back into the atmosphere, meaning that the long-term solution to climate change still lies in curbing emissions.

Uh-huh.

But this ignores the biodiversity boost, the fact that forests would be expanding. It ignores the key finding of the study: increased CO2 levels enhance life’s biological processes.