Linking carbon and water cycles with forests

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article discusses carbon and water cycles in relation to forested ecosystems, specifically the role forests play in storing and releasing carbon, and the role they can play in local to regional water cycles (including river flooding and evapotranspiration). It also looks at disturbances in the form of land use change, deforestation, and climate change. The article highlights how linking carbon and water cycles with forests demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of these biogeochemical cycles in one of the most crucial of Earth's systems. The article closes with a discussion of how effective understanding of these topics will hinge on educators and students making synoptic links between these cycles, and how this can trigger outdoor learning through collection and analysis of data.