Waring et al. (2026): Microbiome manipulation and enhanced weathering influence tree growth in reforestation
Bonnie G. Waring, Colin Averill, Martin Bidartondo, Laura M. Suz, David J. Beerling, Tom W. Crowther, Gregory Jones, Lena Lancastle, Dimitar Z. Epihov, Kat Clayton, Laura Gobelius, Oliver Lindsay, Brian Steidinger, Heather Allen & Charlots Nicholls, IN: Communications Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00103-0
Limiting future warming invokes the need to maximize the natural carbon sequestration capacity of forests. Here the authors report on a large-scale (11.5 hectare) field trial testing co-deployment of two strategies to increase forest carbon capture: enhanced rock weathering via addition of crushed silicate rock, and modification of the soil microbiome. Individual monitoring of 6400 trees over four years revealed that silicate rock amendment augmented aboveground carbon stocks by 27% in broadleaf stands only.