Forests are allies in the fight against climate change.
As trees grow, they take up carbon from the air and store it in their wood, roots, and soils. An estimated one-third of the carbon emissions released from burning fossil fuels are absorbed by the world's forests every year.
Cary scientists are working to understand threats to the forest carbon sink and how reforestation can increase carbon storage. Their insights help guide management and policy decisions aimed at meeting climate goals.
Maximizing forest regeneration. Reforestation is a natural climate solution. Cary scientists have discovered that nitrogen-fixing plants are key to tropical rainforest recovery. They are also studying strategies plants leverage to overcome nutrient scarcity. Young trees with access to nutrients have enhanced growth, increasing the amount of carbon they store. Research informs how to reforest with species mixes that enhance the tropical forest carbon sink while creating resilient forests that can withstand global change.
Understanding why giant trees die. Tropical forests store 60% of the carbon contained in all the plants on land. Half of this carbon is in the largest 1% of trees. Cary is exploring when, where, and why giant trees die, to refine tropical carbon budgets and global climate trends.
Boosting forest resilience. In the Western US, wildfires are becoming so severe that some forests are transforming into grasslands, with consequences for carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Cary scientists are investigating the factors that lead to this evolution, to identify where and how new fire management strategies could bolster forest resilience. For example, we are developing tools that empower forest managers to leverage the power of beneficial fires, which can help reduce the risk of devastating fires in the future.
Refining the forest carbon budget. Growing trees soak up carbon dioxide. When they decompose or burn, their stored carbon gets released to the atmosphere. Cary scientists are working to quantify how factors like nutrients, wildfires, lightning strikes, flooding, decomposition, and biotic interactions affect the balance of forest carbon uptake, storage, and emissions. Understanding these dynamics will enhance climate models and improve their projections, and will allow for more accurate accounting of present and future global carbon budgets.
Debunking forest carbon offsets. Careful accounting by Cary scientists has helped to reveal that forest carbon offsets — tree-planting or forest-conservation credits that companies can buy instead of reducing their fossil fuel emissions — are largely ineffective. With this knowledge, companies seeking carbon neutrality can redirect their investments to wind and solar energy projects that offer real, long-term solutions to the climate crisis.
Beyond carbon storage, forests provide many benefits to society. They support biodiversity, clean our air and water, provide food, and have social and cultural significance. By informing the preservation, restoration, and responsible management of forests, Cary scientists aim to protect these benefits for all people and living things.
