New Study: Enhanced Rock Weathering and Microbial Enrichment Boost CO2 Capture in Reforestation by 13-27%

carbonherald.com

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

A new peer-reviewed study published in Communications Sustainability shows that simple nature-based interventions can significantly increase carbon capture in reforestation projects. The Glandwr Forest Carbon Study, led by Imperial College London and The Carbon Community, found that enhanced rock weathering (spreading crushed basalt on soil) boosted aboveground CO2 storage by up to 27% in native woodlands after four years. Microbial enrichment increased biomass by 13% in broadleaf areas, with the greatest impact in the first year after planting. The study covers 72 research plots across 11.5 hectares of Welsh hillside and is the largest field trial of its kind. Researchers tracked 6,400 trees annually with help from over 200 citizen scientists. Enhanced rock weathering appears to improve tree nutrition by releasing calcium and raising soil pH, making nutrients more available. These results suggest that low-cost, scalable interventions could improve the carbon credit quality of reforestation projects and accelerate natural carbon removal.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting results from the Glandwr study. 27% more aboveground CO2 from spreading crushed basalt is not trivial. Would like to see how this scales beyond 11.5 hectares and what the cost per tonne looks like.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The microbial enrichment piece is also worth noting. 13% boost in broadleaf biomass after four years. But they say the biggest effect was in year one. That suggests the window for application is narrow. Miss that and you might not get much.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

ERW for reforestation is not new but this is one of the better controlled trials I have seen. 72 plots with individual monitoring is solid. The question is whether basalt supply chains can support large scale projects without adding too much cost or emissions from transport.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

If these numbers hold up in other biomes it could change how carbon credits from ARR projects are evaluated. Right now many protocols do not factor in soil amendments or microbial treatments. That might need updating.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Good to see a field trial with actual data instead of just modeling. The 13-27% range is meaningful but the paper only covers the first four years. Need to see if the effect persists or fades as the canopy closes and competition increases.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

The citizen science angle is also a nice touch. 200 volunteers tracking 6400 trees annually. That kind of ground truth data is rare and valuable for validating carbon models.