Forested landscapes have enormous environmental, cultural and social importance in shaping the world we live in. In the UK, woodland area covers 3.17 million hectares – the plants that cover such a vast space have a critical role in supporting the water and carbon cycle on earth. In this podcast, we visit the University of Birmingham to speak to Professor of Atmospheric Science, Rob MacKenzie and Professor of Life Sciences, Jeremy Pritchard.
Plants have a big effect on the carbon cycle globally; we discuss just the importance of plants to life on earth - from cities and the importance of trees in urban spaces, to a ground-breaking forest constructed by Birmingham Institute of Forest Research.
For updates on the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research follow @BIFoRUoB
This podcast accompanies a fuller article with resources and lesson activities: ‘Seeing the wood for the trees: how will increased atmospheric CO2 affect forests?’
- Article
Seeing the wood for the trees: how will increased atmospheric CO2 affect forests?
CO2 is being pumped into a Staffordshire forests by scientists from the University of Birmingham. Why? To explore the effects of increased greenhouse gas emissions as a result of climate change
- Case study
The Upside Down Forest
Although it may often be only a few centimetres in depth, soil is one of the most essential resources on earth