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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

Published on: July 3, 2020

Evidence for a recent increase in forest growth.

Sean M McMahon¹, Geoffrey G Parker, Dawn R Miller

¹Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21307-0028, USA. mcmahons@si.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|February 6, 2010

Summary

Forest biomass is increasing due to climate change, not just natural recovery. Understanding these forest growth rate changes is crucial for carbon stock and atmospheric research.

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A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods

A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods

Published on: October 20, 2019

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

Published on: July 3, 2020

A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods

A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods

Published on: October 20, 2019

Area of Science:

Ecology
Forestry
Climate Science

Background:

Forests store the majority of Earth's terrestrial carbon. Recent forest biomass increases are observed globally.
Attributing biomass changes solely to climate change requires accounting for natural disturbance and recovery cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the drivers of increased forest biomass accumulation.
To differentiate between climate change impacts and natural forest recovery on biomass.

Main Methods:

Utilized a 22-year dataset of tree biomass from 55 temperate forest plots with known land-use and age history.
Collected over 100 years of local weather data and 17 years of on-site atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements.

Main Results:

Biomass accumulation significantly exceeded expected growth from natural recovery across plots.
Observed temperature and CO2 trends align with global climate change patterns.
Demonstrated that global climate change fundamentally alters natural process rates, consistent with biogeochemical models.

Conclusions:

Recent forest biomass increases are primarily driven by climate change impacts, surpassing natural recovery rates.
Accurate assessment of forest carbon stocks and fluxes requires understanding altered growth rates.
Urgent need to research forest growth rate changes for predicting future atmospheric and biosphere states.