The Breathing Forest
SEI researchers, Professor Phil Ineson and Dr Andreas Heinemeyer presented their study into the behaviour of the carbon cycle in forests at the Royal Society Exhibition in 2006. They're trying to find out how much CO2 a forest is gaining or losing. The challenge is that forests both take up CO2 (through photosynthesis) as well as release it (through respiration); it is the balance which decides whether a forest is a net source or store of carbon.
They have developed novel ways of measuring the breathing out from different parts of the forest. Somewhat surprisingly, one of the most important sources of CO2 in the forest is the respiration of the millions of organisms that have their homes in the soil.
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