Hyungwoo Lim

Presentation
I study how differences in structure and function among species interact with atmospheric and soil properties to produce the diversity of carbon balances observed among forest types.
Understanding mechanisms is my favourit topic responsible for the carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems in terms of patterns of carbon partitioning and allocation; uptake of nutrients and water; nutrition and growth of trees; soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics; and their interactions and feedbacks with a changing climate and forest management practices.
Under this framework, I employ various tools, including isotopes (14C, 13C, 15N, 2H), soil microdialysis technique (in situ monitoring of soil water and nitrogen fluxes), and statistical/process-based modelling.
I am currently working on two main projects. One examines factors controlling the fertilization response of forest nutrition and growth. I hypothesize that root uptake of nitrogen and, thus, growth of trees are interactivley affected by the chemical form of available soil nitrogen, soil water availability, and atmospheric water demand. A combination of greenhouse experiements and field based manupulation studies helps disentangle the combined effects and provide the mechanisms underlying the responses.
The second project quantifies forest carbon accumulation capacity in response to combinations of forest management, a changing climate, and disturbances (e.g., insect outbreaks). Forest fertilization generally increases both biomass and soil carbon accumulation. It is yet largely untested whether the accumulation would remain conserved even after forest disturbances or with a chaning climate. To tackle the task, I employ advanced techniques of carbon and nitrogen isotopes (13C,14C,15N), and unique archives of field-samples (1986-). I expect the project to advance understandings of coupled carbon-nitrogen dynamics between plants and soils that interact with a changing climate.
Background
Postdoc. in Silviculture, Jan. 2018-Dec. 2020 SLU Umeå
Supervisor: Prof. Tomas Lundmark (SLU)
PhD in Ecophysiology, Dec. 2017 SLU Umeå
Supervisors: Prof. Torgny Näsholm (SLU); Prof. Ram Oren (Duke Univ.)
Selected publications
*G Baek, *H Lim, NJ Noh, C Kim. 2023. No impact of nitrogen fertilization on carbon sequestration in a temperate Pinus densiflora forest. Scientific Reports *Equal contribution
H Lim, S Jämtgård, R Oren et al. 2022. Organic nitrogen enhances nitrogen nutrition and early growth of Pinus sylvestris seedlings. Tree Physiol
Henriksson N, Lim H, Marshall J et al. 2021. Tree water uptake enhances nitrogen acquisition in a fertilized boreal forest – but not under nitrogen‐poor conditions. New Phytol
H Lim, CA Alvares, MG Ryan, D Binkley. 2020. Assessing the cross-site and within-site response of potential production to atmospheric demand for water in Eucalyptus plantations. For Ecol Manag
H Lim, R Oren, T Näsholm et al. 2019. Boreal forest biomass accumulation is not increased by two decades of soil warming. Nature Climate Change