研究表明，为了适应地球上二氧化碳浓度的升高，成年树木将增加三分之一的二氧化碳吸收

作者：goodnewsnetwork

出处：goodnewsnetwork

译者：Tom Wang

新的研究表明，到 2050 年，随着世界二氧化碳平均水平的提升，成熟的橡树的光合作用速率将提高三分之一。

该结果是从伯明翰大学领导的大型户外实验中得出的，在该实验中，一片古老的橡树林沐浴在高浓度的二氧化碳中。这项最新研究增加了将森林用作有效碳汇的领域，并有可能为气候研究人员提供应对气候变化的新工具。

增加碳捕获：

在一个为期十年的项目的前三年中，175 岁的橡树通过不断提高光合作用速率来明显地应对二氧化碳浓度提升。

研究人员现在正在测量树叶、木头、根和土壤，以找出捕获的额外碳的最终位置以及它在森林中锁定的时间。

在强烈的阳光下，光合作用的增加最大。叶片中关键营养元素碳和氮的总体平衡没有变化。

保持碳氮比恒定表明老树已经找到了重新调整其元素的方法，或者找到了从土壤中引入更多氮以平衡它们从空气中获得的碳的方法。

该研究是在伯明翰森林研究所 (BIFor) 的自由空气二氧化碳富集 (FACE) 设施中进行的，与西悉尼大学的同事密切合作，他们在古老的桉树林 (EucFACE) 中进行了一项非常相似的实验。 BIFor FACE 和 EucFACE 是世界上最大的两个研究全球变化对自然影响的实验。

进行测量的伯明翰研究员Anna Gardner 说：“我真的很高兴能够将第一批已发表的科学成果贡献给具有全球重要性的实验 BIFor FACE。日复一日在 25 米高的橡树顶部进行测量是一项艰苦的工作，但这是确定树木光合作用增加了多少的唯一方法。”

EucFACE 首席科学家 David Ellsworth 教授说：“EucFACE 之前的工作测量了光合作用在二氧化碳增加的情况下增加了五分之一。因此，我们现在知道古老的森林在悉尼的暖温带气候以及伯明翰所在的北中纬度温和的温带气候下的反应如何。”

BIForR 的创始主任 Rob MacKenzie 教授谈到发表在《树木生理学》上的这项研究时说：“很高兴看到 BIForFACE 的第一块碳拼图就位。我们现在确信老树正在对未来的二氧化碳水平做出反应。整个森林生态系统如何响应是一个更大的问题需要进行更详细的调查。我们现在正在推进这些调查。”

English Version：

Mature oak trees will increase their rate of photosynthesis by up to a third in response to the raised CO2 levels expected to be the world average by about 2050, new research shows.

The results are the first to emerge from a giant outdoor experiment, led by the University of Birmingham in which an old oak forest is bathed in elevated levels of CO2. This latest study adds to the field that looks at the use forests as effective carbon sinks, and potentially gives climate researchers a new tool in the fight against climate change.

Increased carbon capture

Over the first three years of a ten-year project, the 175-year-old oaks clearly responded to the CO2 by consistently increasing their rate of photosynthesis.

Researchers are now measuring leaves, wood, roots, and soil to find out where the extra carbon captured ends up and for how long it stays locked up in the forest.

The increase in photosynthesis was greatest in strong sunlight. The overall balance of key nutrient elements carbon and nitrogen did not change in the leaves.

Keeping the carbon to nitrogen ratio constant suggests that the old trees have found ways of redirecting their elements, or found ways of bringing more nitrogen in from the soil to balance the carbon they are gaining from the air.

The research was carried out at the Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) facility of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR), in close collaboration with colleagues from Western Sydney University who run a very similar experiment in old eucalyptus forest (EucFACE). BIFoR FACE and EucFACE are the world’s two largest experiments investigating the effect of global change on nature.

Birmingham researcher Anna Gardner, who carried out the measurements, said, “I’m really excited to contribute the first published science results to BIFoR FACE, an experiment of global importance. It was hard work conducting measurements at the top of a 25-meter oak day after day, but it was the only way to be sure how much extra the trees were photosynthesising.”

Professor David Ellsworth, EucFACE lead scientist, said “Previous work at EucFACE measured photosynthesis increased by up to a fifth in increased carbon dioxide. So, we now know how old forest responds in the warm-temperate climate that we have here in Sydney, and the mild temperate climate of the northern middle latitudes where Birmingham sits.”

Professor Rob MacKenzie, founding Director of BIFoR, said of the study, published in Tree Physiology, “It’s a delight to see the first piece of the carbon jigsaw for BIFoR FACE fall into place. We are sure now that the old trees are responding to future carbon dioxide levels. How the entire forest ecosystem responds is a much bigger question requiring many more detailed investigations. We are now pushing ahead with those investigations.”

原链接：https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/birmingham-uni-oak-trees-will-absorb-more-co2/