To explore the environmental effects of increased carbon dioxide levels in the 21st-century atmosphere, these rings of towers emit computer-controlled streams of carbon dioxide into 100-foot diameter forest parcels. This Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage (FACTS-1) experiment has so far revealed significant increases in forest growth in a high carbon dioxide environment. The FACTS-1 experiment is taking place in Duke Forest , the university's 7,700-acre research reserve, which also offers hiking trails for area residents. Duke Forest is a facility of the Nicholas School of the Environment, where faculty and students explore such issues as global climate change, air and water quality, and natural resource damage.

From Duke: A Shared Vision.

All photographs copyright 1999 by Duke University Photography