Challenges in elevated CO2 experiments on forests.
Current forest Free Air CO(2) Enrichment (FACE) experiments are reaching completion. Therefore, it is time to define the scientific goals and priorities of future experimental facilities. In this opinion article, we discuss the following three overarching issues (i) What are the most urgent scientific questions and how can they be addressed? (ii) What forest ecosystems should be investigated? (iii) Which other climate change factors should be coupled with elevated CO(2) concentrations in future experiments to better predict the effects of climate change? Plantations and natural forests can have conflicting purposes for high productivity and environmental protection. However, in both cases the assessment of carbon balance and how this will be affected by elevated CO(2) concentrations and the interacting climate change factors is the most pressing priority for future experiments.
IBAF-CNR, Monterotondo Scalo (Roma), Italy.
Calfapietra
Carlo
C
Ainsworth
Elizabeth A
EA
Beier
Claus
C
De Angelis
Paolo
P
Ellsworth
David S
DS
Godbold
Douglas L
DL
Hendrey
George R
GR
Hickler
Thomas
T
Hoosbeek
Marcel R
MR
Karnosky
David F
DF
King
John
J
Körner
Christian
C
Leakey
Andrew D B
AD
Lewin
Keith F
KF
Liberloo
Marion
M
Long
Stephen P
SP
Lukac
Martin
M
Matyssek
Rainer
R
Miglietta
Franco
F
Nagy
John
J
Norby
Richard J
RJ
Oren
Ram
R
Percy
Kevin E
KE
Rogers
Alistair
A
Mugnozza
Giuseppe Scarascia
GS
Stitt
Mark
M
Taylor
Gail
G
Ceulemans
Reinhart
R
D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D014197:Trees / Q000378:metabolism*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide