Stimulating forest carbon uptake and storage by mycorrhizal inoculation
Objective
Major afforestation on agricultural land is being implemented in Denmark, offering significant potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS). However, the microbiome of agricultural soils may limit forest growth and thereby the CCS potential. MycoForest is based on the hypothesis that inoculating afforestation sites with forest-adapted mycorrhizal fungi can increase the CCS potential by 10-20%. The project will investigate the short- and long-term potential for increasing carbon uptake and storage in different Danish contexts (soil, tree species, soil amendments, mycorrhizal strains and climate), ensure the practical feasibility of combining mycorrhizal inoculation with other soil amendments and provide economic feasibility scenarios, carbon documentation and stakeholder and policy outreach.
Approach
MycoForest will combine laboratory and greenhouse experiments to identify key factors influencing mycorrhizal inoculation with full-scale afforestation experiments at three sites in Denmark. The project will document and upscale the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation on carbon uptake and storage and provide a long-term assessment. Practical and economic feasibility studies involving key stakeholders will also be conducted.
Impact
MycoForest will deliver methodologies and documentation for increasing carbon uptake and storage through inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and other soil amendments in afforestation. The project will also deliver an implementation plan, including guidelines for inoculation methods and modified afforestation practices that facilitate mycorrhizal use. In addition, it will assess economic feasibility and regulatory requirements for carbon documentation and provide stakeholder, policy and communication activities to support future implementation.
