The EucFACE project stands for Eucalyptus Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment, and is a multi-million dollar experiment in large plots (30 m in diameter) in a mature Eucalyptus forest get exposed to elevated CO₂ concentrations.
There are six such plots, three of which are the current CO₂ concentration (about 415 ppm and rising) and three are elevated CO₂ plot (about 150 ppm above ambient), concentrations we predict to see in 2050.
This set-up allows scientists to understand how plants will respond to elevated CO₂ and how much trees absorb this CO₂ in the future.
One of the major findings from this experiment is while some extra carbon is absorbed, this does not result in more tree growth (Ellsworth et al. 2017 Elevated CO2 does not increase eucalypt forest productivity on a low-phosphorus soil) and instead is respired back to the atmosphere via soils, stem and other respiration sources (Jiang et al. 2020 The fate of carbon in a mature forest under carbon dioxide enrichment).
Understory project
EucFACE is located in a Cumberland Plain woodland, now a threatened ecological community in Western Sydney. Apart from the Eucalypt trees, there are many different species in the understory, namely grasses, forbs and shrubs. My team is investigating changes in photosynthesis and growth in these species contrasting native and invasive species.
In addition to several large synthesis efforts, I have contributed and collaborated on several smaller experiments at EucFACE.
Conserved stomatal behaviour under elevated CO2 and varying water availability in a mature woodland
Canopy position affects photosynthesis and anatomy in mature Eucalyptus trees in elevated CO2
Elevated CO2 alters the temperature sensitivity of stem CO2 efflux in a mature eucalypt woodland
