Rapid Exchange Between Soil Carbon and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Driven by Temperature Change

Comparison of 14C (carbon-14) in archived (pre-1963) and contemporary soils taken along an elevation gradient in the Sierra Nevada, California, demonstrates rapid (7 to 65 years) turnover for 50 to 90 percent of carbon in the upper 20 centimeters of soil (A horizon soil carbon). Carbon turnover times increased with elevation (decreasing temperature) along the Sierra transect. This trend was consistent with results from other locations, which indicates that temperature is a dominant control of soil carbon dynamics. When extrapolated to large regions, the observed relation between carbon turnover and temperature suggests that soils should act as significant sources or sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide in response to global temperature changes.

[1]  Donald R. Gilbert,et al.  Engineered Interfaces for Adherent Diamond Coatings on Large Thermal-Expansion Coefficient Mismatched Substrates , 1996, Science.

[2]  E. Davidson,et al.  Belowground cycling of carbon in forests and pastures of eastern Amazonia , 1995 .

[3]  C. Field,et al.  Ecosystem gas exchange in a California grassland : seasonal patterns and implications for scaling , 1995 .

[4]  M. Kirschbaum,et al.  The temperature dependence of soil organic matter decomposition, and the effect of global warming on soil organic C storage , 1995 .

[5]  P. Vitousek,et al.  Soil organic matter dynamics along gradients in temperature and land use on the Island of Hawaii , 1995 .

[6]  E. Davidson,et al.  The role of deep roots in the hydrological and carbon cycles of Amazonian forests and pastures , 1994, Nature.

[7]  Thomas H. Painter,et al.  Climatic, edaphic, and biotic controls over storage and turnover of carbon in soils , 1994 .

[8]  E. Rastetter,et al.  Aspects of spatial and temporal aggregation in estimating regional carbon dioxide fluxes from temperate forest soils , 1994 .

[9]  J. Randerson,et al.  Terrestrial ecosystem production: A process model based on global satellite and surface data , 1993 .

[10]  Zhiyong Lin,et al.  Breaking global temperature records after Mt. Pinatubo , 1993 .

[11]  Eric A. Davidson,et al.  Changes in soil carbon inventories following cultivation of previously untilled soils , 1993 .

[12]  W. Broecker,et al.  A strategy for estimating the impact of CO2 fertilization on soil carbon storage , 1993 .

[13]  Hari Eswaran,et al.  Organic Carbon in Soils of the World , 1993 .

[14]  E. Dutton,et al.  SOLAR RADIATIVE FORCING AT SELECTED LOCATIONS AND EVIDENCE FOR GLOBAL LOWER TROPOSPHERIC COOLING FOLLOWING THE ERUPTIONS OF EL , 1992 .

[15]  Peter M. Vitousek,et al.  Tropical soils could dominate the short-term carbon cycle feedbacks to increased global temperatures , 1992 .

[16]  W. Schlesinger,et al.  The global carbon dioxide flux in soil respiration and its relationship to vegetation and climate , 1992 .

[17]  D. W. Heikkinen,et al.  Progress in AMS Measurements at the LLNL Spectrometer , 1991, Radiocarbon.

[18]  D. Jenkinson,et al.  Model estimates of CO2 emissions from soil in response to global warming , 1991, Nature.

[19]  P. Povinec,et al.  Anthropogenic 14C Variations in Atmospheric CO2 and Wines , 2006, Radiocarbon.

[20]  J. Balesdent The turnover of soil organic fractions estimated by radiocarbon dating , 1987 .

[21]  D. Anderson,et al.  Organo-Mineral Complexes and Their Study by Radiocarbon Dating1 , 1984 .

[22]  Wilfred M. Post,et al.  Soil carbon pools and world life zones , 1982, Nature.

[23]  B. J. O'brien,et al.  Movement and turnover of soil organic matter as indicated by carbon isotope measurements , 1978 .

[24]  W. Schlesinger Carbon Balance in Terrestrial Detritus , 1977 .

[25]  T. A. Rafter,et al.  RADIOCARBON ENRICHMENT OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER FRACTIONS IN NEW ZEALAND SOILS , 1977 .

[26]  D. Buchanan,et al.  Sealed Tube Combustions for Determination of Carbon- 14 and Total Carbon , 1959 .

[27]  H. Jenny,et al.  INFLUENCE OF PARENT MATERIAL AND CLIMATE ON TEXTURE AND NITROGEN AND CARBON CONTENTS OF VIRGIN CALIFORNIA SOILS: I. TEXTURE AND NITROGEN CONTENTS OF SOILS , 1958 .

[28]  M. M. Elgabaly,et al.  EFFECT OF EXCHANGE CAPACITY OF CLAY MINERALS AND ACIDOID CONTENT OF PLANT ON UPTAKE OF SODIUM AND CALCIUM BY EXCISED BARLEY AND PEA ROOTS , 1949 .