Running from 14 - 22 August, National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. Swinburne is proud to be hosting a range of events and activities.

In this keynote presentation, Professor Mark Adams from the School of Science at Swinburne, will outline the current state of knowledge of the role of forests in any potential ‘decarbonising’ of the atmosphere, and in regional and global hydrological cycles. 

Using isotopic data derived from tree rings, Mark and his team have shown that commonly assumed responses of forests to rising CO2 – improvements in the amounts of carbon gained per unit water used – that were in evidence for much of the last century, are no longer valid.  Equally, much of the global evidence of the capabilities of mature forests to sequester carbon is derived from regions with relatively abundant water and nitrogen, which is not the case in Australia or much of the southern hemisphere.  The implications of these findings will be discussed, with a focus on carbon and water budgets, both locally and globally.

Discover further events and activities at National Science Week.  

About the speaker

Mark enjoys working in forests, on globally significant issues, and with students and others who share his passion for rigorous science. 

The author of more than 250 peer reviewed papers, several books and many other contributions, Mark is a strong advocate for empirical tests of serious hypotheses.

Learn more about Professor Mark Adams