A STIRLING scientist is set to lead an investigation into whether global warming is leading to increased carbon emissions from ecosystems in the Arctic.

University of Stirling ecosystem ecology professor Philip Wookey will be carrying out cutting edge experiments in northern Sweden as part of a team of investigators.

The group, which includes scientists from the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, will also carry out its ground-breaking research in the Scottish Highlands, an environment that has much in common with the Arctic tundra.

Professor Wookey said: “Many high-profile research papers have equated Arctic greening with increased net carbon sequestration from the atmosphere.

“Although logical and intuitive, this overlooks the potential fate of pre-existing soil organic carbon in these regions.

“This is a problem because soils at high latitudes are notably carbon rich.

“Although challenging to investigate, we cannot overlook below-ground processes if we are to understand net carbon budgets on timescales relevant to the climate emergency.”

Funding of £1million for the project comes after the World Meteorological Organisation revealed there is a 66 per cent chance the planet will pass the 1.5C global warming threshold between now and 2027.

Rising temperatures are having a dramatic effect on the Arctic landscape – trees and tall shrubs are growing in areas formerly too cold for them to establish, meaning tree lines are gradually creeping up and shrubby vegetation is spreading and growing taller, as warm seasons lengthen.

However, it is not yet clear if this Arctic greening is resulting in changes in net carbon exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere.

Professor Wookey and his team will carry out innovative experiments which will test whether vegetation change could turbo-charge the mycorrhizosphere - the microhabitat in soil where plant roots are surrounded by fungus – resulting in a net loss of carbon from soils to the atmosphere.

They will investigate how the presence of plant roots, and their associated mycorrhizal fungi, could accelerate the decomposition of pre-existing soil organic matter. Mycorrhizal fungi access nutrients from the soil for their plant hosts, however, some may increase soil carbon loss.

The professor added: “Understanding the fundamental mechanisms controlling the accumulation, stability and loss of soil organic matter is as essential for predicting the Earth's future climate as understanding photosynthesis and plant productivity.

“We hypothesise that associated changes in the mycorrhizosphere could, paradoxically, result in net losses, rather than gains, of soil carbon.

“By applying ground-breaking techniques, we will transform our understanding of this process and the fundamental new knowledge gained will significantly improve regional and global modelling of climate change.

“This project is especially timely, given the major policy emphasis and public interest in tree planting for carbon sequestration.”