Global carbon cycle and climate change: Responses and feedbacks from below-ground systems

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5893684

Dixon, R K; Turner, D P

According to most global climate models, a continued build-up of CO2 and other greenhouse gases will lead to significant changes in temperature and precipitation patterns over large parts of the Earth. Belowground processes will strongly influence the response of the biosphere to climate change and are likely to contribute to positive or negative biospheric feedbacks to climate change. Current global carbon budgets suggest that as much as 2000 Pg of carbon exists in soil systems. There is considerable disagreement, however, over pool sizes and flux (e.g. CO2, CH4) for various ecosystems. An equilibrium analysis of changes in global belowground carbon storage due to a double-CO2 climate suggests a range from a possible sink of 41 Pg to a possible source of 101 Pg. Components of the terrestrial biosphere could be managed to sequester or conserve carbon and mitigate accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (Copyright (c) 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.)

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5893684
• Report Number(s): PB-92-121359/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AIR-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBON SINKS
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
MATTER
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SINKS
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS