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Rising atmospheric CO2 reduces sequestration of root-derived soil carbon.

Heath J, Ayres E, Possell M, Bardgett RD, Black HI, Grant H, Ineson P, Kerstiens G

Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK. j.heath@lancaster.ac.uk

Forests have a key role as carbon sinks, which could potentially mitigate the continuing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and associated climate change. We show that carbon dioxide enrichment, although causing short-term growth stimulation in a range of European tree species, also leads to an increase in soil microbial respiration and a marked decline in sequestration of root-derived carbon in the soil. These findings indicate that, should similar processes operate in forest ecosystems, the size of the annual terrestrial carbon sink may be substantially reduced, resulting in a positive feedback on the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

Published 9 September 2005 in Science, 309(5741): 1711-3.
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