Isotopes track carbon cycle in northern Wisconsin wilderness

Researchers collected carbon from 3 years’ worth of air samples and traced it back to its source

In the face of global climate change, scientists are always in search of better models to accurately measure carbon in an ecosystem. In particular, they look to determine how quickly carbon can cycle through plants and soil until it reaches the atmosphere again. This rate helps them to project global climates in both the near and distant future and the regional effects that these changes may have on temperature, sea levels, rainfall, and crop growth. The closer scientists get to accurately measuring carbon and its sources and sinks, the closer they get to forecasting the future. Read more.