Arctic Six project will reveal forests’ role in climate change

In a time when our climate is continually changing, and carbon dioxide levels are steadily increasing across the globe, understanding the dynamics of forest ecosystems has never been more urgent.

Professor Daniel Metcalfe, an ecologist with a background spanning both tropical and boreal forest research, is initiating a project with great potential for climate and ecological science. His work aims to create a long-term forest monitoring network throughout the Arctic and boreal regions, beginning in Sweden and potentially expanding across Scandinavia and beyond. The purpose of this research is to measure carbon stocks and fluxes in forests. By doing so, Metcalfe hopes to establish a foundational dataset that can help track changes in forest health over time and ultimately deepen our understanding of how northern forests interact with and affect the climate system.

Ecology professor with experience of both tropical and boreal forests

Metcalfe is currently a professor of Ecology at Umeå University, and an Arctic Six Chair. His journey to the Arctic began in the tropics, as he completed his PhD in 2007 at the University of Edinburgh, where he focused on the impact of climate change on carbon cycling within tropical forests. His research eventually brought him to Sweden, where he found professional and personal reasons to settle. While his career started with a focus on tropical forests, Metcalfe sees his knowledge of both tropical and boreal systems as a strength. Drawing on experiences across these different environments, he emphasizes that fundamental ecological principles often remain consistent: 

– You can transfer lots of knowledge and skills from one location to another, he explains.

In his personal life, Metcalfe enjoys spending time with his family and friends, as well as fishing and picking mushrooms.

There is an important gap that could be contributed by the kind of network that I am proposing

The Arctic Six research project leads back to academic roots

Under his new role as an Arctic Six Chair, Metcalfe has initiated a project that he describes as a return to his academic roots, but now in the Arctic rather than the tropics.

– This project has a special place in my heart because it is taking this long, winding journey from my PhD, he says.

His project’s main objective is to establish a forest monitoring network that tracks all carbon stocks and fluxes within selected forests. The project involves, in Metcalfe’s words, “writing a long recipe book” that systematically addresses each component of forest carbon dynamics.  Essentially, this involves measuring both carbon stored in biomass, such as leaves, stems, and roots, and the carbon released through respiration. By detailing the carbon dynamics of individual forests, this network will generate insights not currently available through existing tools like flux towers or national forest inventories, which provide broader but less detailed data.

– There is an important gap that could be contributed by the kind of network that I am proposing, Metcalfe says.

Beginning in Sweden, he hopes that this network will eventually expand, offering a more representative view of Arctic and boreal forest health.

Envisions long-term tracking and an open-access data network

With this research project, Metcalfe aims to lay the groundwork for an infrastructure that enables long-term tracking of Arctic and boreal forests’ roles in the carbon cycle. Over time, he hopes this data will provide a deeper understanding for ecosystems at a critical time in global history, and how individual forests contribute to or mitigate climate change.

Looking even further into the future, Metcalfe envisions an open-access network similar to existing monitoring systems in tropical forests.

– In the tropics, the network has become almost fully outsourced so that individual people or institutions can just go and do these kinds of measurements. The methods are easy to replicate, so it is not difficult for anyone interested in these kinds of questions to go ahead and do this in a forest of their choice, Metcalfe explains.

He hopes this could be replicated across the Arctic as well. With this network in place, he sees a pathway toward empowering researchers and policymakers to make decisions that protect and sustain the forest ecosystems. Additionally, Metcalfe believes that this project could inspire education and local engagement, promoting greater scientific literacy and collaboration across Arctic communities.

With his background in both tropical and boreal ecology, Metcalfe brings a unique perspective to his work, and through his research project as an Arctic Six Chair, he hopes to fill critical gaps in our understanding of carbon dynamics, forest health, and climate resilience.