Prof William H Schlesinger

William H. Schlesinger is Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) project in the Duke forest, in which he examines the response of an entire forest ecosystem to growth at elevated concentrations (+200 ppm over ambient) of atmospheric CO2. The investigations include measurements of forest growth, water and nutrient use, decomposition and other soil processes, and biodiversity responses among the insects and successional plants. These measurements are used to deduce the sink for atmospheric CO2, in wood and soil organic matter, that can be expected in future environments.