Alain Paquette was one in a team of researchers who reviewed over 11,360 publications and acquired data from a global network of tree diversity experiments to determine whether diversification of plantations would enhance aboveground carbon storage. They assessed aboveground carbon stocks in mixed-species planted forests vs. (a) the average of monocultures, (b) the best monoculture, and (c) commercial species monocultures, and examined potential mechanisms driving differences in carbon stocks between mixtures and monocultures. On average, it was found that aboveground carbon stocks in mixed planted forests were 70% higher than the average monoculture, 77% higher than commercial monocultures, and 25% higher than the best performing monocultures, although the latter was not statistically significant. Also, none of the examined mechanisms consistently explained the variation in diversity effects. 

The full article can be found here or check out the summary blog at Frontiers Science News at the link below.