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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Global Change and Photosynthesis Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #241237
Title: Challenges in Elevated CO2 Experiments on Forests

Author
item CALFAPIETRA, CARLO - Institute For Agro Environmental And Forestry Biology (IBAF-CNR)
item Ainsworth, Elizabeth - Lisa
item BEIER, CLAUS - Technical University Of Denmark
item DE ANGELIS, PAOLO - University Of Tuscia
item ELLSWORTH, DAVID - Western Sydney University
item GODBOLD, DOUGLAS - Bangor University
item HENDREY, GEORGE - City University Of New York
item HICKLER, THOMAS - Lund University
item HOOSBEEK, MARCEL - Wageningen University And Research Center
item KARNOSKY, DAVID - Michigan Technological University
item KING, JOHN - North Carolina State University
item KORNER, CHRISTIAN - University Of Basel
item LEAKEY, ANDREW D B - University Of Illinois
item LEWIN, KEITH - Brookhaven National Laboratory
item LIBERLOO, MARION - University Of Antwerp
item LONG, STEPHEN - University Of Illinois
item LUKAC, MARTIN - Imperial College
item MATYSSEK, RAINER - Technical University Of Munich
item MIGLIETTA, FRANCO - Institute Of Biometeorology
item NAGY, JOHN - Brookhaven National Laboratory
item NORBY, RICHARD - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
item OREN, RAM - Duke University
item PERCY, KEVIN - Canadian Forest Service
item ROGERS, ALISTAIR - Brookhaven National Laboratory
item MUGNOZZA, GUISEPPE - National Council Of Agricultural Research (CRA)
item STITT, MARK - Max Planck Society
item CEULEMANS, REINHART - University Of Southampton

Submitted to: Trends in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2009
Publication Date: 1/1/2010
Citation: Calfapietra, C., Ainsworth, E.A., Beier, C., De Angelis, P., Ellsworth, D.S., Godbold, D.L., Hendrey, G.R., Hickler, T., Hoosbeek, M.R., Karnosky, D.F., King, J., Korner, C., Leakey, A., Lewin, K.F., Liberloo, M., Long, S.P., Lukac, M., Matyssek, R., Miglietta, F., Nagy, J., Norby, R.J., Oren, R., Percy, K.E., Rogers, A., Mugnozza, G.S., Stitt, M., Ceulemans, R. 2010. Challenges in Elevated CO2 Experiments on Forests. Trends in Plant Science. 15(1):5-10.

Interpretive Summary: Currently operating open air experiments for investigating the response of forests to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations are being phased out. Therefore, it is time to define the scientific goals and priorities for future experiments. This paper suggests the most important scientific questions to be addressed in future experiments, the types of forest ecosystems for study, and how predictions of the effects of climate change on forest systems can be improved. This article might be used by funding agencies to prioritize areas for future funding.

Technical Abstract: Current forest Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments are reaching completion. It is the time to define the scientific goals and priorities of future experimental facilities. The overarching issues are three-fold: first, which are the most urgent scientific questions and which technological aspects could allow answering those questions. Second, what types of forest ecosystems should be investigated? Third, how can predictions of the effects of climate change be improved by combining elevated CO2 with other climate change factors? As trees constitute both plantations and natural forests with sometimes conflicting needs for high productivity and environmental protection we urge an assessment of elevated CO2 effects from different perspectives taking into account the main functions and constraints of the various forest ecosystems.