Information de reference pour ce titreAccession Number: | 00006056-200105240-00025.
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Author: | Oren, Ram *; Ellsworth, David S. +++; Johnsen, Kurt H. [S]; Phillips, Nathan [//]; Ewers, Brent E. *; Maier, Chris [S]; Schafer, Karina V.R. *; McCarthy, Heather *; Hendrey, George ++; McNulty, Steven G. [curved stem paragraph sign ornament]; Katul, Gabriel G. *
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Institution: | * Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA + School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA ++ Department of Environmental Sciences, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973-5000, USA [S] Southern Research Station, US Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA [//] Department of Geography, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA [curved stem paragraph sign ornament] Southern Global Climate Change Program, US Forest Service, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA
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Title: | Soil fertility limits carbon sequestration by forest ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere.[Letter]
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Source: | Nature. 411(6836):469-472, May 24, 2001.
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Abstract: | Northern mid-latitude forests are a large terrestrial carbon sink 1-4. Ignoring nutrient limitations, large increases in carbon sequestration from carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization are expected in these forests 5. Yet, forests are usually relegated to sites of moderate to poor fertility, where tree growth is often limited by nutrient supply, in particular nitrogen 6,7. Here we present evidence that estimates of increases in carbon sequestration of forests, which is expected to partially compensate for increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, are unduly optimistic 8. In two forest experiments on maturing pines exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2, the CO2-induced biomass carbon increment without added nutrients was undetectable at a nutritionally poor site, and the stimulation at a nutritionally moderate site was transient, stabilizing at a marginal gain after three years. However, a large synergistic gain from higher CO2 and nutrients was detected with nutrients added. This gain was even larger at the poor site (threefold higher than the expected additive effect) than at the moderate site (twofold higher). Thus, fertility can restrain the response of wood carbon sequestration to increased atmospheric CO2. Assessment of future carbon sequestration should consider the limitations imposed by soil fertility, as well as interactions with nitrogen deposition.
(C) 2001 Nature Publishing Group
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Language: | English.
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Document Type: | Letters to Nature.
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Journal Subset: | Life Sciences. Physical Science & Engineering.
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ISSN: | 0028-0836
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NLM Journal Code: | 0410462, nsc
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