HRH Prince of Wales looks into the future of climate change with Earthwatch

25th February 2019

Introducing Prince Charles to our climate change studies.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is a long-standing ambassador for global sustainability. Prince Charles visited one of the key woodland sites in Earthwatch’s climate change studies and met with our scientist, Alan Jones.

Alan said:

“It is very exciting and feels a massive honour to be able to meet His Royal Highness and discuss our research on climate change and woodlands. It’s great to have a meaningful opportunity to explain our science to a member of the royal family.”

 

The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) facility, where Earthwatch is partnered with the University of Birmingham to help understand of how forests cope with increased levels of carbon dioxide and increase our ability to predict climate change, is home to a 10-year experiment raising the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of an entire forest using Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) technology and computer-controlled rings of 30-metre towers.

Our studies at BIFoR will answer fundamental questions about the ability of woodlands to capture carbon dioxide. His Royal Highness visited the site – a mature oak forest in Staffordshire – and was introduced to our work to help us understand how woodlands will respond to climate and environmental change.

 

“It’s fantastic that our collaboration with the University of Birmingham at BIFoR FACE is receiving this attention and I’m very pleased that our essential scientific work on ecosystem carbon cycling within this experiment is being showcased in this way.”

 

Explaining the importance of the work at BIFoR FACE for our future, Alan said:

“The two experiments we’re running within the £15 million BIFoR FACE facility measure rates of carbon accumulation by trees exposed to elevated CO₂ alongside the rates of carbon loss through forest leaf litter decomposition.”

“This information will be invaluable for understanding whether forests in the future continue to take carbon out of the atmosphere. The research we are conducting in this area will enable better predictions of the rate and severity of climate change for the future, while demonstrating which forests are most important for combating climate change.”

 

Find out more about Earthwatch’s Climate Action:

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