Plants, Climate and the Global Carbon Cycle

This outdoor talk / walk by Astrid Wingler, Professor of Plant Biology at UCC, will explore the interactions between climate and plants, using plants in the grounds of Bantry House as an example. While plants fix carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and benefit to some extent from the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, climate change can have negative consequences for the growth of plants, and for their ability to store carbon in the vegetation and the soil. However, more biodiverse ecosystems may be more resilient to climate change. The importance of biodiversity for climate resilience and the global carbon cycle will be explained. The impact of climate change on managed (agriculture, forestry, gardens) as well as wild ecosystems will be discussed, including the potential future impact of invasive plant species.

Free but booking needed in advance. Booking via Eventbrite (see link).

This is one of a number events being held as part of the Ellen Hutchins Festival during Heritage Week. For the full programme see: https://ellenhutchins.com/ellen-hutchins-festival/