Tackling climate change by adding, restoring, or enhancing forests is gaining global support. However, it is important to investigate the broader implications of this. We used a computer model of the Earth to investigate a future where tree cover expanded as much as possible. We found that some tropical areas were cooler because of trees pumping water into the atmosphere, but this also led to soil and rivers drying. This is important because it might be harder to maintain forests as a result.

Despite the ocean’s importance in the carbon cycle and hence the climate, observing the ocean carbon sink remains challenging. Here, I use an ensemble of 12 models to understand drivers of decadal trends of the past, present, and future ocean carbon sink. I show that 80 % of the decadal trends in the multi-model mean ocean carbon sink can be explained by changes in decadal trends in atmospheric CO₂. The remaining 20 % are due to internal climate variability and ocean heat uptake.

Our study explores lipid remodeling in response to environmental stress, specifically how cell membrane chemistry changes. We focus on intact polar lipids in a phytoplankton community exposed to diverse stressors in a mesocosm experiment. The observed remodeling indicates acyl chain recycling for energy storage in intact polar lipids during stress, reallocating resources based on varying growth conditions. This understanding is essential to grasp the system's impact on cellular pools.

This overview of the special issue “Global change effects on terrestrial biogeochemistry at the plant–soil interface” features empirical, conceptual and modelling-based studies and outlines key findings on plant responses to elevated CO₂; soil organism responses to warming; impacts on soil organic carbon, nitrogen and mineral nutrient cycling; and water level changes affecting greenhouse gas emissions, from the Arctic to the tropics, which are crucial for deciphering feedbacks to global change.