Research project Feedbacks between a changing climate and vegetation (CLIVE)

CLIVE aims to explore how forests, particularly in boreal and tropical regions, influence climate change through their interactions with carbon and water cycles. Forests absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis, which helps mitigate climate change, but they also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs play a critical yet underappreciated role in the formation of aerosols and clouds, which have a cooling effect on the climate by reflecting sunlight. The project seeks to quantify the amount and composition of VOC emissions under varying environmental conditions and assess their impact on cloud and aerosol formation.

By employing advanced measurement techniques and integrating data into climate models, the research will improve the understanding of how VOC emissions contribute to climate regulation. The team will investigate how factors like rising CO2 levels, temperature changes, and land-use practices affect VOC emissions and their feedbacks on climate. Ultimately, the project will provide more accurate predictions of forests’ roles in climate change, offering insights into how forests can help mitigate global warming.