Canopy processes in a changing climate

Forest canopies exchange a large part of the mass and energy between the earth and the atmosphere. The processes that regulate these exchanges have been of interest to scientists from a diverse range of disciplines for a long time. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Canopy Processes Working Group provides a forum for these scientists to explore canopy processes at scales ranging from the leaf to the ecosystem. Given the changes in climate that are being experienced in response to rising [CO 2], there is a need to understand how forest canopy processes respond to altered environments. Globally, native and managed forests represent the largest terrestrial biome and, in wood and soils, the largest terrestrial stores of carbon. Changing climates have significant implications for carbon storage in forests, as well as their water use, species diversity and management. In order to address these issues, the Canopy Processes Working Group held a travelling workshop in south-east Australia during October 2010 to examine the impact of changing climates on forest canopies, highlighting knowledge gaps and developing new research directions.