Dr. François-Xavier Joly is project leader of this University of Stirling project which is quantifying how native woodland regeneration (NWR) affects the quantity of carbon stored in plant biomass, above and belowground and in the soil.

“While NWR likely increases carbon sequestration in the vegetation through tree growth, it may not necessarily lead to a net C gain at the ecosystem-scale: in terrestrial ecosystems and Scotland in particular, the vast majority of C is not stored in the vegetation or the atmosphere, but belowground as soil organic matter (Lehmann & Kleber, 2015). Thus, changes in carbon sequestration following NWR largely depend on the soil carbon response.”

Outcomes

We have received an interim report with preliminary results, however some samples are being re-analysed as part of a quality control check on their carbon determination analyses. A follow-up project will provide additional information that will contribute to a peer-reviewed publication of this study which we will link to here when it becomes available.

Kieran Leigh-Moy, our Future Woodlands Manager, summarises the preliminary findings below:

“They are reanalysing some of their samples but, so far, they have found no significant difference between carbon sequestration between plots that had been naturally regenerated (over a 10-30 year period) over those which had not. Although there was greater aboveground biomass in plots with trees, this was offset by losses in belowground carbon stocks relative to plots without trees. This finding is broadly consistent with a number of recent studies which have shown similar results for planting native woodland on organo-mineral soils. This study is among the first to specifically look at natural regeneration as opposed to planting. In essence, it appears trees alter belowground processes that results in losses of carbon from soil that do not appear to be offset by the gains in carbon from the growth of trees (at least not for several decades)”.