Project Grant 2132002

This $888,463 National Science Foundation project grant funds research at the University of Michigan to assess the contribution of nitrogen from soil organic matter on plant growth response to elevated carbon dioxide levels. Specifically, the award supports evaluating how trees potentially access nitrogen bound in soil organic matter using ectomycorrhizal fungi under field conditions. It also assesses how access to additional nitrogen from this source could increase net primary productivity, especially under high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The research aims to define conditions under which ectomycorrhizal fungi provide trees nitrogen from soil organic matter. It will determine the magnitude of this contribution to tree growth and its effect on productivity with elevated carbon dioxide. Findings from this NSF Biological Sciences program grant could enhance understanding of forest carbon storage potential to mitigate climate change.