Extra CO2 boosted Wisconsin forest productivity 39%, but ozone cut the gain
A long-term experiment in Wisconsin, Aspen-FACE, studied the effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ozone (O₃) on forest growth over 11 years. Researchers found that elevated CO₂ significantly increased forest productivity by 39% and total ecosystem carbon by 11%, while elevated ozone had a detrimental effect, reducing productivity by 10% and carbon by 9%. The study highlights the complex interplay of atmospheric changes on forest ecosystems.
Why it matters
This research provides crucial insights into how rising atmospheric CO₂ and ozone levels, driven by climate change and pollution, impact forest health and their capacity to sequester carbon. Understanding these effects is vital for predicting future ecosystem responses and informing environmental policies.
What happens when young forest communities spend more than a decade growing in air with unusually high levels of carbon dioxide and ozone? Scientists in Wisconsin set out to find the answer by changing the atmosphere around these communities and tracking how the trees responded over 11 years. The experiment, known as Aspen-FACE, was conducted in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and exposed forest plots to elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂), elevated ozone (O₃), or both. According to the study by Alan F. Talhelm and colleagues, published in Global Change Biology, elevated CO₂ increased cumulative net primary productivity by 39% over the 11-year experiment. Elevated ozone had the opposite effect, reducing cumulative productivity by 10%.
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