Our science topic: Distribution and dynamics of belowground carbon in savannas
Arid and semiarid regions cover over 40% of the Earth’s land surface. Recent developments in the study of water-limited vegetation suggest that root structure and function are crucial to processes controlling the co-existence and relative abundance of different vegetation life forms. Vegetation composition and structure, in turn, determines both total ecosystem carbon storage and short- and long-term response of these ecosystems to climate variability. Understanding the dynamics of water-limited vegetation and associated soil organic carbon pools is vital to the study of the global biosphere and the global carbon budget. This research addresses a major issue in dryland ecology: how belowground plant processes in water-limited ecosystems control belowground organic carbon dynamics under different climate conditions.