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    Reading: Nitrogen cycling drives a strong within-soil CO2-sink

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    Original Research Papers

    Nitrogen cycling drives a strong within-soil CO2-sink

    Authors:

    Siegfried Fleischer ,

    Halmstad University, SE
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    Ivo Bouse

    Halmstad University, SE
    About Ivo
    Associated with the study since 2004.
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    Abstract

    For about three decades, it has not been possible to completely balance global carbon emissions into known pools. A residual (or ‘missing’) sink remains. Here evidence is presented that part of soil respiration is allocated into an internal soil CO2-sink localized to the saprophytic subsystem (roots excluded). The process occurs in forest, agricultural and grassland soils and is favoured by high N-deposition. Chemoautotrophic nitrification has a key role, and the most efficient internal CO2-sequestration occurs concurrently with lowest soil nitrate (NO3 -) concentrations, despite considerable N-loading. Not until drastic N-supply occurs, does the CO2-sink successively breakdown, and nitrate concentrations increase, leading to NO3 −-leaching.Within-soil CO2-uptake seems to be of the same magnitude as the missing carbon sink. It may be gradually enforced by the ongoing input of nitrogen to the biosphere.

    How to Cite: Fleischer, S. and Bouse, I., 2008. Nitrogen cycling drives a strong within-soil CO2-sink. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 60(5), pp.782–786. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00374.x
      Published on 01 Jan 2008
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 4 Aug 2008            Submitted on 20 Feb 2008

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