What if some of the carbon absorbed by plants doesn’t stay locked away, but instead leaks back into the soil, shaping the climate in unexpected ways? Nikhil Chari, a PhD candidate in organismic and evolutionary biology, studies root exudates (small carbon compounds released by plant roots into the soil) and their role in the global carbon cycle. Chari has found that rising temperatures can significantly increase root exudation. But rather than boosting carbon storage, higher exudation rates can lead to soil carbon losses, undermining the soil’s role as a carbon sink. Ultimately, Chari emphasizes that the most reliable path to climate stability lies in reducing emissions at the source by transitioning to renewable energy, electrifying transportation, and moving away from fossil fuels.
Nikhil Chari's research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Botanical Society of America, and the Salata Institute at Harvard.
