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Draft Bifor 2017 Annual Report

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I will look at the woody carbon dynamics of the trees at the BiFoR FACE and eucFACE experiments. A better understanding of the fate of carbon through increased photosynthetic activity and more insight in the response of complete forest stands to elevated CO2 levels will help increase the accuracy of future carbon budget models. This project will explore the use fieldwork data of different woody compartments to determine turnover rate and chemical composition changes in two different ecosystems exposed to elevated CO2 levels.” appendix 6 BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE OF FOREST RESEARCH (BIFoR) HOLD page for photo dependant on report length and print Annual Report 2020 Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 BIFoR Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) ............................................................... 5 Research Collaborators at BIFoR FACE ............................................................................................................. 9 Forest Health Research ......................................................................................................... 10 Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions, Dr Tom Pugh ................................................................ 12 Education ............................................................................................................................... 14 Leverhulme Trust, Forest Edge Doctoral Scholarship Programme ................................................................... 15 New doctoral research ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Continuing doctoral research ............................................................................................................................. 17 Strategic Stakeholder Engagement ....................................................................................... 19 Outputs .................................................................................................................................. 20 Funding .................................................................................................................................. 21 Going Forward ....................................................................................................................... 22 Appendix 1: People ................................................................................................................ 23 Appendix 2: BIFoR Presence at Sectoral Conferences and Workshops ................................ 28 Appendix 3: BIFoR Stakeholder engagement ........................................................................ 30 Appendix 4: BIFoR Papers and other literature/ communications 2020 ................................. 31 Papers ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Papers by Director Prof. Nicola Spence ............................................................................................................ 34 Other literature, radio, television and social media............................................................................................ 34 Responses to Government Consultations ......................................................................................................... 35 Appendix 5: Funding .............................................................................................................. 36 Photo credits: Cover image- Oak tree which is experiencing the atmosphere in one of the BIFoR FACE arrays (see page 5); photo credit University of Birmingham For all images not mentioned explicitly below, assume the photo credit should be University of Birmingham. Page 13: Bark beetles strike in the foothills of the German Alps by Dr Tom Pugh 2 Introduction After an unprecedented year for science, the Dr Florian Busch arrived as a new lecturer seventh year of BIFoR operations was still one studying theoretical and experimental plant to remember. Despite all the challenges physiology, particularly with a focus on brought by COVID and accompanying photosynthesis. Strengthening our work in restrictions, our fantastic team running the ecology, Dr Laura Graham joined in 2020, with linchpin FACE experiment kept the show on her focus on how climate and land-use change the road, with carbon dioxide enrichment of impacts global ecosystems and human well- trees starting and ending on schedule. After being. Dr Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert has implementing strict biosecurity and safety been appointed to a lectureship to study how measures, the team were able to global forests are impacted and change accommodate some researchers onto the site according to climate change. We also welcome to ensure experiments progressed. We have Dr Susanne Suvanto joining on a 2-year Marie also seen an increase in applications to include Curie fellowship (ForMMI). We also pay a huge the site in grant applications and to study data welcome to key personnel working on: the emanating from the experiment. Indeed, we QUINTUS project, Angeliki Kourmouli (Senior are delighted to have been recognised by UK Research Technician), Robert Grzesik Research and Innovation (UKRI) and use of (Research Technician) James Gore (Research the facility can be costed into National Technician); the FACE Underground project, Research Council (NERC) grant applications. Michaela Reay (Postdoctoral Fellow); Hannah The four years of data being obtained from the Martin (Research Technician), the FACE experiment are also starting to reveal the technical team, Thomas Downes (FACE impacts of elevated CO2 on trees and their Apprentice Engineer). Seven new PhD ecosystem, so the coming six years of students joined BIFoR in 2020, working on a operation, underpinned by a further £5M wide range of interdisciplinary projects (see donation from JABBS and £6.3M from the page 16). 2020 also marked the completion of University, will be fascinating, to see just how the first cohort of Doctoral Researchers from impactful higher atmospheric CO2 will be on the initial BIFoR FACE PhD projects as well as trees and forests. the first major papers to emerge from the FACE experiment. Their research is now out for peer- As with any science institute, its staff and review ahead of publication. students are the key to its success and there has been substantial investment to enhance There were several major activities in 2020 that the science base of BIFoR. The BIFoR Chair in have effects on the plant and forestry sector: Tree Pathology, Prof. Rob Jackson, started in the Future of UK Treescapes Funding call, the January 2020. He was joined in September by UKRI/BBSRC Plant Sciences Strategy, Dr Mojgan Rabiey, working on a new project English Tree Strategy consultation, the Science in collaboration with the National Institute of and innovation strategy for forestry in Great Agricultural Botany (NIAB) to study bacterial Britain, EUExit. pathogen evolution in cherry trees. He is also currently recruiting eight new staff and PhD Members of BIFoR have been able to students to work on a range of tree disease contribute to all these initiatives. Notably, questions. Dr Megan McDonald is a new BIFoR colleagues contributed to a POSTNote Birmingham Fellow and will work on fungal on Reforestation and submitted the first pathogens of plants to study their genomes position piece to the parliamentary enquiry into and evolution of virulence. tree planting and woodlands in November 3 2020, thus demonstrating our commitment to Congratulations to Dr Sami Ullah who was ensuring a strong institute voice reflecting our appointed to the Nutrient Management Expert science discoveries. Group at DEFRA. We also celebrated Deanne Brettle, winning the March 2020 Life and Given the new arrival of staff, and a natural Environmental Sciences Excellence Reward evolution of the institute, there have been and Recognition Scheme. Deanne has been several changes in governance. In January central to running the Institute, managing 2020, the new Advisory Group (external meetings, supporting BIFoR Management members) had their first meeting, stimulating Group colleagues and the wider institute staff excellent discussions on past activities and and students. future ideas and strategies. We have also established a new BIFoR Management Group We have also formulated our future plans for (BMG) consisting of the four Directors education and outreach activities. Although Professors Rob Jackson, Rob Mackenzie, COVID has stymied physical visits of schools to Jeremy Pritchard and Nicola Spence; the the FACE site, our new virtual tour has proven Science Committee, Dr Estrella Luna-Diez, to be a hit with teachers and school students. Professors Christine Foyer, Vincent Gauci We now aim to stimulate new activities that and Francis Pope; BIFoR Operations provide online resources for Schools, Colleges Manager, Dr Kris Hart; and BIFoR and Universities as well as wider stakeholder Administrator Deanne Brettle. The aim of groups. BMG is to enhance communications and management of a range of issues. The Science Overall, 2020 has been a key year in the Committee have also provided invaluable realisation of the founding vision for BIFoR: support to institute colleagues for managing publications and grant applications, including ‘BIFoR aims to be an internationally leading
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