Extra CO2 boosted Wisconsin forest productivity 39%, but ozone cut the gain
A Wisconsin experiment studied forest communities exposed to high carbon dioxide and ozone. Elevated carbon dioxide significantly increased forest productivity and carbon storage over eleven years. Conversely, increased ozone levels reduced forest productivity and ecosystem carbon content. The combined effects showed carbon dioxide stimulating growth and ozone limiting it. These findings…
Scientists in Wisconsin manipulated the atmosphere around a young forest for 11 years to observe how trees responded to higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ground-level ozone (O₃). Known as the Aspen-FACE experiment, it was conducted in Rhinelander and exposed forest plots to elevated CO₂, O₃, or both. The study, led by Alan F. Talhelm and published in Global Change Biology, found that elevated CO₂ increased cumulative net primary productivity by 39% over the 11-year period, while elevated ozone reduced productivity by 10%.
Elevated CO₂ also boosted ecosystem carbon by 11%, while ozone decreased it by 9%. Despite the opposing effects, there was no significant interaction between CO₂ and ozone in terms of cumulative net primary productivity. The findings highlight how forests' response to changing atmospheric conditions is influenced by multiple environmental factors, including atmospheric composition, species, competition, and forest development.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
