Carbon Sink

Most existing agricultural lands have been in production for sufficiently long periods that C inputs and outputs are nearly balanced and they are neither a major source nor sink of atmospheric C. As population increases, food requirements and the need for more crop land increase accordingly. An annual conversion of previously uncultivated lands up to 1.5 x 107 hectares may be expected. It is this new agricultural land which suffers the greatest losses of C during and subsequent to its conversion. The primary focus for analysis of future C fluxes in agroecosystems needs to be on current changes in land use and management as well as on direct effects of CO 2 and climate change. A valid assessment of C pools and fluxes in agroecosystems requires a global soils data base and comprehensive information on land use and management practices. A comprehensive effort to assemble and analyze this information is urgently needed.

Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates the relative performance of multiple products, services, or technologies with the purpose of selecting the least impactful alternative. Nevertheless, characterized results are seldom conclusive. When one alternative performs best in some aspects, it may also performs worse in others. These tradeoffs among different impact categories make it difficult to identify environmentally preferable alternatives. To help reconcile this dilemma, LCA analysts have the option to apply normalization and weighting to generate comparisons based upon a single score. However, these approaches can be misleading because they suffer from problems of reference dataset incompletion, linear and fully compensatory aggregation, masking of salient tradeoffs, weight insensitivity and difficulties incorporating uncertainty in performance assessment and weights. Consequently, most LCA studies truncate impacts assessment at characterization, which leaves decisionmakers to confront highly uncertain multi-criteria problems without the aid of analytic guideposts. This study introduces Stochastic Multi attribute Analysis (SMAA), a novel approach to normalization and weighting of characterized life-cycle inventory data for use in comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The proposed method avoids the bias introduced by external normalization references, and is capable of exploring high uncertainty in both the input parameters and weights.

Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, they might accelerate climate change through carbon losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses to the intense 2005 drought, a possible analog of future events. Affected forest lost biomass, reversing a large long-term carbon sink, with the greatest impacts observed where the dry season was unusually intense. Relative to pre-2005 conditions, forest subjected to a 100-millimeter increase in water deficit lost 5.3 megagrams of aboveground biomass of carbon per hectare. The drought had a total biomass carbon impact of 1.2 to 1.6 petagrams (1.2 × 10 15 to 1.6 × 10 15 grams). Amazon forests therefore appear vulnerable to increasing moisture stress, with the potential for large carbon losses to exert feedback on climate change.

Spring forest ephemerals often create homogeneous patches in the understory; however, our knowledge about their stand level characteristics is deficient. Our aims were to examine, parallel to their phenology, the stand level Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes as well as the dependence of NEE on leaf area (LA), air temperature (Tair) and light (PPFD) in three spring forest geophytes that are widespread in Europe. Furthermore, we compared the leaf and stand level net photosynthesis. The methods used included open chamber measurements with an infrared gas analyser in permanent plots on a weekly basis. The results showed that the stand levels of all three species proved to be carbon sinks from the beginning of the vegetation period until the end of it or until the last phase of fruit formation. The largest amount of carbon sink was observed at the peak of blooming. A positive linear correlation was measured between NEE and PPFD as well as between NEE and...

Hydrologic conditions are a major controlling factor for carbon exchange processes in high-latitude ecosystems. The presence or absence of water-logged conditions can lead to significant shifts in ecosystem structure and carbon cycle processes. In this study, we compared growing season CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes of a wet tussock tundra ecosystem from an area affected by decadal drainage and an undisturbed area on the Kolyma floodplain in northeastern Siberia. For this comparison we found the CO<sub>2</sub> uptake to be systematically reduced within the drained area, with a minor increase in photosynthetic uptake due to a higher abundance of shrubs outweighed by a more pronounced increase in respiration due to warmer near-surface soil layers. Carbon dioxide exchange with the atmosphere over this disturbed part of the tundra has rebounded from the strong reduction of fluxes immediately following the drainage disturbance in 2005. This indicates that the local permafr...

This study investigated the potential financial benefits that private forest famers can derive when participating in a larch carbon sink plantation project in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. A decision matrix was developed to help forest farmers justify participation in forest carbon sink projects relative to the traditional land-use goal of timber production under various carbon trading prices, site conditions, and contract terms. The results showed that when the carbon trading price is at the theoretically optimal carbon price (CNY 110/tCO2e, equivalent to USD 17/tCO2e), Chinese business entities are willing to pay for forest carbon credits under the current global carbon emissions level, and forest farmers who participate in a 25-year forest carbon sink plantation project on high-productivity sites would generate the greatest financial benefit compared with the net income from pure timber production forests. Thus, the government does not need to provide a carbon sink ...

El presente documento es el resultado de un trabajo del equipo multidisciplinario con base a un estudio de investigación acción, misma que describen las observaciones de manera continua del clima y su impacto en la salud ambiental con un análisis de criterio técnico y científico efectuado por los investigadores, con el fin de realizar un aporte para la sociedad en su cuidado de salud y para las personas que se dedican a la ganadería en la región del oriente boliviano, debido al incremento de la temperatura paulatina que se da en este cambio de estación de primavera y verano en la gestión 2025. En el documento se evidencia una alta probabilidad de tener olas de calor en diferentes fechas para estas estaciones, que originarán un riesgo significativo para la salud, especialmente para quienes sufren enfermedades de base y también existe una tendencia en las consecuencias en el bienestar del ganado vacuno, donde las altas temperaturas pueden provocar estrés térmico, originando la disminución en la producción de leche, pérdidas de peso, y un aumento en la vulnerabilidad a enfermedades zoonóticas.. Palabras Clave: Cambio de clima, ola de calor, efectos en salud, riesgo ambiental

Coastal wetlands are important for carbon (C) storage and sequestration. Still, there are large knowledge gaps concerning the amount of "blue carbon" in coastal wetlands dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis). We quantified carbon stocks at the southern Baltic Sea coast at six representative Phragmites wetland sites at the Darss-Zingst-Bodden Chain (DZBC) and the Strelasund, which include different categories of adjacent land use (arable land, woodland, pasture, urban), topography (totally flat to undulating), and geographical restrictions (dyking). Sediment samples were taken to a depth of 1 m, in line with the IPCC guidelines, and total carbon concentrations and bulk densities were measured in 10 cm intervals. The sites stored, on average, 17.4 kg C m -2 with large variability between sites, ranging from 1.76 to 88.6 kg C m -2 . The estimated average is generally in good agreement with carbon stocks reported for tidal salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass meadows. According to our estimation, based on widths of the reed belts and carbon stocks at the sampled sites, approximately 264,600 t of blue carbon could be stored in the coastal reed belts along the DZBC, a typical lagoon system of the southern Baltic Sea. Our study underlines the importance of these unique ecotones between land and sea for storage and sequestration of blue carbon. Since Phragmites is also a common (sometimes invasive) species along other large brackish water basins, such as the Black Sea or Chesapeake Bay, these estimates can be used for improved precision of modeling blue carbon budgets. Brackish wetland • Saltmarsh • Phragmites australis • Darss-Zingst-Bodden Chain • Regional C stock inventory • Sediment carbon stocks Communicated by Just Cebrian.

Ecosystem services are vital for humans in urban regions. However, urban development poses a great risk for the ability of ecosystems to provide these services. In this paper we first address the most important ecosystem services in functional urban regions in Finland. Well accessible and good quality recreational ecosystem services, for example, provided by urban nature, are an important part of a high-quality living environment and important for public health. Vegetation of urban regions can have a role in carbon dioxide sequestration and thus in climate change mitigation. For instance, estimates of carbon sinks can be compared to total CO 2 emissions of an urban region, and the municipality can aim at both increasing carbon sinks and decreasing CO 2 emissions with proper land-use planning. Large and contiguous core nature areas, smaller green areas and ecological connections between them are the essence of regional ecological networks and are essential for maintaining interconnected habitats for species and thus biological diversity. Thus, both local and regional level ecological networks are vital for maintaining ecosystem services in urban regions. The impacts of climate change coupled with land-use and land cover change will bring serious challenges for maintaining ecosystem services in urban areas. Although not yet widely used in planning practices, the ecosystem services approach can provide an opportunity for land-use planning to develop ecologically sustainable urban regions. Currently, information on ecosystem services of urban regions is lacking and there is a need to improve the knowledge base for land-use planning.

This working paper is made available by the Resource Economics and Policy Analysis (REPA) Research Group at the University of Victoria. REPA working papers have not been peer reviewed and contain preliminary research findings. They shall not be cited without the expressed written consent of the author(s).

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) requires signatories to reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by an average of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the commitment period 2008-2012. This constitutes only a small proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, countries can attain a significant portion of their targets by sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems in lieu of emission reductions. Since carbon sink activities lead to ephemeral carbon storage, forest management and other activities that enhance carbon sinks enable countries to buy time as they develop emission reduction technologies. Although many countries are interested in sink activities because of their presumed low cost, the analysis in this paper suggests otherwise. While potentially a significant proportion of required CO2 emission reductions can be addressed using carbon sinks, it turns out that, once the opportunity cost of land and the ephemeral nature of sinks are taken into account, costs of carbon uptake could be substantial. Carbon uptake via forest activities varies substantially depending on location (tropical, Great Plains, etc.), activity (forest conservation, tree planting, management, etc.), and the assumptions and methods upon which the cost estimates are based. Once one eliminates forestry projects that should be pursued because of their biodiversity and other non-market benefits, or because of their commercial profitability, there remain few projects that can be justified purely on the grounds that they provide carbon uptake benefits.

Carbon terrestrial sinks are seen as a low-cost alternative to fuel switching and reduced fossil fuel use for lowering atmospheric CO 2 . As a result of agreements reached at Bonn and Marrakech, carbon offsets have taken on much greater importance in meeting Kyoto targets for the first commitment period. In this study, meta-regression analysis is used to examine 981 estimates from 55 studies of the costs of creating carbon offsets using forestry.

To meet its international commitment to reduce CO2 output by 7% from the 1990 level by 2012, Canada will rely to some extent on terrestrial carbon uptake, particularly afforestation of marginal agricultural land. The economics of afforestation is examined for northeastern British Columbia and all of Alberta, with harvested wood used either as a replacement for coal in energy production or as a wood-product sink. Some 7 × 106 ha of marginal agricultural land are identified, but very little could reasonably be afforested if wood is used as a substitute for coal. If C is stored in wood products, nearly one third of the land might reasonably be planted to trees; if similar results hold for the rest of Canada, afforestation can be included in the policy arsenal. Before that can be done, however, some serious issues need to be resolved, including problems associated with the mechanism used to transfer land out of agriculture into plantation forest.

Carbon terrestrial sinks are seen as a low-cost alternative to fuel switching and reduced fossil fuel use for lowering atmospheric CO 2 . As a result of agreements reached at Bonn and Marrakech, carbon offsets have taken on much greater importance in meeting Kyoto targets for the first commitment period. In this study, meta-regression analysis is used to examine 981 estimates from 55 studies of the costs of creating carbon offsets using forestry.

Livestock production, as one of the oldest and most significant human activities, plays a vital role in fulfilling the global demand for human nutrition and other animal-related products while contributing to poverty reduction. However, it is also important to address the environmental impact of livestock animals. Over 60% of the global biomass harvested annually to support human activity is directed towards this sector, raising concerns about its sustainability. In addition to substantial water and fertilizer usage reported in recent years, it is estimated that 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the livestock sector. Furthermore, the increasing amount of manure resulting from intensive animal farming raises concerns about its disposal and potential water pollution. The degradation of pasture and rangeland is another significant contributor to soil erosion. Multiple approaches are being studied to reduce the environmental impact of livestock production, but a ...

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This study investigates the resolution of urban carbon sequestration challenges in Newcastle upon Tyne's city centre using ecologically appropriate vegetation. Grounded in secondary data from peer-reviewed environmental, botanical, and public health literature, the paper identifies high-performing plant species suitable for the city's temperate maritime climate. The paper also evaluates the urban morphology of Newcastle's city centre, proposes spatial strategies for greening interventions, and demonstrates the co-benefits of carbon sequestration for public health, including improved air quality and reduced disease incidence. Recommendations include incorporating tree-based sequestration into planning legislation, prioritising species resilience, and aligning public health and environmental sustainability strategies. The research concludes that even densely built urban centres can play a transformative role in national net-zero ambitions through smart botanical integration.

The carbon balance of the land biosphere is the result of complex interactions between land, atmosphere and oceans, including climatic change, carbon dioxide fertilization and land-use change. While the land biosphere currently absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this carbon balance might be reversed under climate and land-use change ('carbon balance reversal'). A carbon balance reversal would render climate mitigation much more difficult, as net negative emissions would be needed to even stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. We investigate the robustness of the land biosphere carbon sink under different socio-economic pathways by systematically varying climate sensitivity, spatial patterns of climate change and resulting land-use changes. For this, we employ a modelling framework designed to account for all relevant feedback mechanisms by coupling the integrated assessment model IMAGE with the process-based dynamic vegetation, hydrology and crop growth model LPJmL. We find that carbon balance reversal can occur under a broad range of forcings and is connected to changes in tree cover and soil carbon mainly in northern latitudes. These changes are largely a consequence of vegetation responses to varying climate and only partially of land-use change and the rate of climate change. Spatial patterns of climate change as deduced from different climate models, substantially determine how much pressure in terms of global warming and land-use change the land biosphere will tolerate before the carbon balance is reversed. A reversal of the land biosphere carbon balance can occur as early as 2030, although at very low probability, and should be considered in the design of so-called peak-and-decline strategies.

The Clean development mechanism is one of the market based flexibility mechanisms designed under the Kyoto Protocol with the dual objectives to assist developed countries in achieving their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets cost-efficiently by investing in projects promoting sustainable development in developing countries. However, it has failed to deliver its sustainable development promise mainly due to defects in its legal design in particular and the structural flaws in the overall Kyoto Protocol legal design. The purpose of this study is thus to demonstrate the failure of this mission, to examine the causal factors for the failure with a view to outline solutions for the post-Kyoto period. A wide range of secondary as well as primary sources are consulted to substantiate the study, taking Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular as a context.

Complex relationships exist between tropical reef ecology, carbonate (CaCO 3 ) production and carbonate sinks. This paper investigates census-based techniques for determining the distribution and carbonate production of reef organisms on an emergent platform in central Torres Strait, Australia, and compares the contemporary budget with geological findings to infer shifts in reef productivity over the late Holocene. Results indicate that contemporary carbonate production varies by several orders of magnitude between and within the different reef-flat sub-environments depending on cover type and extent. Average estimated reef flat production was 1.66 ±1.78 kg m -2 yr -1 (mean ± SD) although only 23% of the area was covered by carbonate producers. Collectively, these organisms produce 17,399 ±18,618 t CaCO 3 yr -1 , with production dominated by coral (73%) and subordinate contributions by encrusting coralline algae (18%) articulated coralline algae, molluscs, foraminifera and Halimeda (<4%). Comparisons between these organisms production across the different reef flat zones, surface sediment composition and accumulation rates calculated from cores indicate that it is necessary to understand the spatial distribution, density and production of each major organism when considering the types and amounts of carbonate available for storage in the various reef carbonate sinks. These findings raise questions as to the reliability of using modal production rates in global models independent of ecosystem investigation, in particular, indicating that current models may overestimate reef productivity in emergent settings.

Estimates of terrestrial carbon isotope discrimination are useful to quantify the terrestrial carbon sink. Carbon isotope discrimination by terrestrial ecosystems may vary on seasonal and interannual time frames, because it is affected by processes (e.g. photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and respiration) that respond to variable environmental conditions (e.g. air humidity, temperature, light). In this study, we report simulations of the temporal variability of canopy‐scale C3 photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination obtained with an ecophysiologically based model (ISOLSM) designed for inclusion in global models. ISOLSM was driven by half‐hourly meteorology, and parameterized with eddy covariance measurements of carbon and energy fluxes and foliar carbon isotope ratios from a pine forest in Metolius (OR). Comparing simulated carbon and energy fluxes with observations provided a range of parameter values that optimized the simulated fluxes. We found that the sensitivity of pho...

Photosynthesis and respiration impart distinct isotopic signatures to the atmosphere that are used to constrain global carbon source/sink estimates and partition ecosystem fluxes. Increasingly, the “Keeling plot” method is being used to determine the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem respiration (δ13CR) in order to better understand the processes controlling ecosystem isotope discrimination. In this paper we synthesize emergent patterns in δ13CR by analyzing 146 Keeling plots constructed at 33 sites across North and South America. In order to interpret results from disparate studies, we discuss the assumptions underlying the Keeling plot method and recommend standardized methods for determining δ13CR. These include the use of regression calculations that account for error in the x variable, and constraining estimates of δ13CR to nighttime periods. We then recalculate δ13CR uniformly for all sites. We found a high degree of temporal and spatial variability in C3 ecosystems, wit...

It is well known that terrestrial photosynthesis and 13C discrimination vary in response to a number of environmental and biological factors such as atmospheric humidity and genotypic differences in stomatal regulation. Small changes in the global balance between diffusive conductances to CO2 and photosynthesis in C3 vegetation have the potential to influence the 13C budget of the atmosphere because these changes scale with the relatively large one‐way gross primary production (GPP) flux. Over a period of days to years, this atmospheric isotopic forcing is damped by the return flux consisting mostly of respiration, Fire, and volatile organic carbon losses. Here we explore the magnitude of this class of isotopic disequilibria with an ecophysiological model (SiB2) and a double deconvolution inversion framework that includes time‐varying discrimination for the period of 1981–1994. If the net land carbon sink and plant 13C discrimination covary on interannual timescales at the global sc...

Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system1. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests2–5 are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced6 and satellite-derived approaches2,7,8 to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands. Despite regional variation, the predictions demonstrated remarkable consistency at a global scale, with only a 12% difference between the ground-sourced and satellite-derived estimates. At present, global forest carbon storage is markedly under the natural potential, with a total deficit of 226 Gt (model range = 151–363 Gt) in areas with low human footprint. Most (61%, 139 Gt C) of this potential is in areas with existing forests, in which ecosystem protectio...

The partitioning among carbon (C) pools of the extra C captured under elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration ([CO 2 ]) determines the enhancement in C sequestration, yet no clear partitioning rules exist. Here, we used first principles and published data from four free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments on forest tree species to conceptualize the total allocation of C to below ground (TBCA) under current [CO 2 ] and to predict the likely effect of elevated [CO 2 ]. We show that at a FACE site where leaf area index ( L ) of Pinus taeda L. was altered through nitrogen fertilization, ice-storm damage, and droughts, changes in L , reflecting the aboveground sink for net primary productivity, were accompanied by opposite changes in TBCA. A similar pattern emerged when data were combined from the four FACE experiments, using leaf area duration ( L D ) to account for differences in growing-season length. Moreover, elevated [CO 2 ]-induced enhancement of TBCA in the combined data decre...

This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. ix AquaCrop crop water productivity model bAu business-as-usual scenario including the impact of a changing climate bAu 0 business-as-usual scenario without the impact of a changing climate bcm billion cubic meters of natural gas CHP combined heat and power ClIRuN CLImate and water RUNoff model CO 2 carbon dioxide CO 2 e carbon dioxide equivalent DSGE Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium EC European Commission ECA region countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Albania,

The impact of extreme weather events is largely influenced by land cover, as demonstrated by the catastrophic flood in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, in May 2024. Over 200mm of rain fell daily in numerous municipalities, displacing 2.3 million people. Although forests cannot entirely mitigate such extreme rainfall, they can help reduce runoff and related damages. We conducted a geospatial analysis to assess land use changes from 1985 to 2022 in the Guaíba Hydrographic Region, applying a three-step raster analysis using GIS tools. We classified pixels as natural or anthropogenic to monitor vegetation changes over four periods. Data processing efficiency improved significantly with a PostgreSQL approach, reducing query time from 20 hours to five minutes after a lenghthy initial pre-processing. Our findings indicated a higher long-term anthropogenic influence in flooded areas, with vegetation loss in Pampa Grasslands (PP) at 33.2%, compared to 18.1% for the Atlantic Forest (AF) and 16.8% in flooded areas. Between 1985 and 2022, we observed a fluctuating conversion rate of natural forests, with an overall loss in grasslands at an increasing annual rate. Soybean cover rose dramatically during these years, growing 430% until 2022, diminishing natural pastures in the Pampa biome. Our analysis emphasizes the effectiveness of forest protection policies while revealing that grassland areas remain poorly managed despite their crucial role in mitigating flood impacts.

Changing climate and a legacy of fire-exclusion have increased the probability of high-severity wildfire, leading to an increased risk of forest carbon loss in ponderosa pine forests in the southwestern USA. Efforts to reduce high-severity fire risk through forest thinning and prescribed burning require both the removal and emission of carbon from these forests, and any potential carbon benefits from treatment may depend on the occurrence of wildfire. We sought to determine how forest treatments alter the effects of stochastic wildfire events on the forest carbon balance. We modeled three treatments (control, thin-only, and thin and burn) with and without the occurrence of wildfire. We evaluated how two different probabilities of wildfire occurrence, 1% and 2% per year, might alter the carbon balance of treatments. In the absence of wildfire, we found that thinning and burning treatments initially reduced total ecosystem carbon (TEC) and increased net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB). In the presence of wildfire, the thin and burn treatment TEC surpassed that of the control in year 40 at 2%/yr wildfire probability, and in year 51 at 1%/yr wildfire probability. NECB in the presence of wildfire showed a similar response to the no-wildfire scenarios: both thin-only and thin and burn treatments increased the C sink. Treatments increased TEC by reducing both mean wildfire severity and its variability. While the carbon balance of treatments may differ in more productive forest types, the carbon balance benefits from restoring forest structure and fire in southwestern ponderosa pine forests are clear.

Peatlands are effective carbon sinks as more biomass is produced than decomposed under the prevalent anoxic conditions. Draining peatlands coupled with warming releases stored carbon, and subsequent rewetting may or may not restore the original carbon sink. Yet, patterns of plant production and decomposition in rewetted peatlands and how they compare to drained conditions remain largely unexplored. Here, we measured annual above-and belowground biomass production and decomposition in three different drained and rewetted peatland types: alder forest, percolation fen and coastal fen during an exceptionally dry year. We also used standard plant material to compare decomposition between the sites, regardless of the decomposability of the local plant material. Rewetted sites showed higher root and shoot production in the percolation fen and higher root production in the coastal fen, but similar root and leaf production in the alder forest. Decomposition rates were generally similar in drained and rewetted sites, only in the percolation fen and alder forest did aboveground litter decompose faster in the drained sites. The rewetted percolation fen and the two coastal sites had the highest projected potential for organic matter accumulation. Roots accounted for 23-66% of total biomass production, and belowground biomass, rather than aboveground biomass, was particularly important for organic matter accumulation in the coastal fens. This highlights the significance of roots as main peat-forming element in these graminoid-dominated fen peatlands and their crucial role in carbon cycling, and shows that high biomass production supported the peatlands' function as carbon sink even during a dry year.

Within the PEATWARM project, we use Sphagnum peatlands as a model to analyse their vulnerability to climate change using an experimental system (ITEX) that simulates in situ an increase in average temperature. We aim to determine the effects of temperature increase on the vegetation, the balance of above-and belowground gas fluxes (CO 2 and CH 4 ), the microbial diversity and activity in Sphagnum mosses and in peat, and the dynamics of labile and recalcitrant organic matter of peat. The ultimate objective is the creation of a biogeochemical model of C coupled with N and S cycles that includes interactions between these key compartments.

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) of water via roots from moist to drier portions of the soil occurs in many ecosystems, potentially influencing both water use and carbon assimilation. • By measuring soil water content, sap flow and eddy covariance, we investigated the temporal variability of HR in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation during months of normal and below-normal precipitation, and examined its effects on tree transpiration, ecosystem water use and carbon exchange. • The occurrence of HR was explained by courses of reverse flow through roots. As the drought progressed, HR maintained soil moisture above 0.15 cm 3 cm )3 and increased transpiration by 30-50%. HR accounted for 15-25% of measured total site water depletion seasonally, peaking at 1.05 mm d )1 . The understory species depended on water redistributed by the deep-rooted overstory pine trees for their early summer water supply. Modeling carbon flux showed that in the absence of HR, gross ecosystem productivity and net ecosystem exchange could be reduced by 750 and 400 g C m )2 yr )1 , respectively. • Hydraulic redistribution mitigated the effects of soil drying on understory and stand evapotranspiration and had important implications for net primary productivity by maintaining this whole ecosystem as a carbon sink.

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The low availability of phosphorus and water in soil can promote the remobilization of carbohydrates in the plant, releasing energy to mitigate stress. In this context, our objective was to analyze the production and allocation of carbohydrates in plants of Carapa guianensis Aubl. submitted to different doses of phosphate fertilization, during the rainy and dry seasons, in the western region of Pará. We used three phosphorus dosages (0, 50, 250 kg ha−1) as treatments. We evaluated the plants during the dry and wet seasons. We quantified dry matter production, phosphorus content, total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, sucrose, and starch. Phosphate fertilization and different evaluation periods influenced carbohydrate concentrations (p &lt; 0.05) in plants. The highest levels of P in the leaves were registered in October and, in the roots the content decreased with the passage of time in all treatments. The control had higher dry matter production in leaves and stems. During the dry ...

River water is one of the most important natural resource for our live and has much influence for lake and the earth because of fast transport velocity. Especially, outflow of chemical matters in river is related with river ecosystem and make lake eutrophication. We targeted Oikamanai river basin, forested catchment in Hokkaido. In this catchment, landuse is 88.3 % forest and 10.6 % farmland. Geology is the Neogene Miocene mud and sand stone, half of which is composed by marine deposit.We got the data on concentration of chemical matters and time series of discharge, electric conductivity (EC) and MET data. Fresh water’s EC monitoring is new technology, so there are few reports. In this study, we calculated time series of concentration of chemical matters and chemical matters load using co-relation of concentration of chemical matters and EC. We analyzed discharge route using Tank-model. Using this result, we calculated chemical matters load at each discharge route. We discuss mecha...

Disclaimer: This report comprises the results of the project COOL -COmpeting uses Of forest Land. More information on the project is available www.ifp.uni-freiburg.de/Forschung/abgeschlossene-projektecontents/Cool. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the European Forest Institute..

The boreal forest contains large reserves of carbon. Across this region, wildfires influence the temporal and spatial dynamics of carbon storage. In this study, we estimate fire emissions and changes in carbon storage for boreal North America over the 21st century. We use a gridded data set developed with a multivariate adaptive regression spline approach to determine how area burned varies each year with changing climatic and fuel moisture conditions. We apply the process-based Terrestrial Ecosystem Model to evaluate the role of future fire on the carbon dynamics of boreal North America in the context of changing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration and climate in the A2 and B2 emissions scenarios of the CGCM2 global climate model. Relative to the last decade of the 20th century, decadal total carbon emissions from fire increase by 2.5-4.4 times by 2091-2100, depending on the climate scenario and assumptions about CO 2 fertilization. Larger fire emissions occur with warmer climates or if CO 2 fertilization is assumed to occur. Despite the increases in fire emissions, our simulations indicate that boreal North America will be a carbon sink over the 21st century if CO 2 fertilization is assumed to occur in the future. In contrast, simulations excluding CO 2 fertilization over the same period indicate that the region will change to a carbon source to the atmosphere, with the source being 2.1 times greater under the warmer A2 scenario than the B2 scenario. To improve estimates of wildfire on terrestrial carbon dynamics in boreal North America, future studies should incorporate the role of dynamic vegetation to represent more accurately post-fire successional processes, incorporate fire severity parameters that change in time and space, account for human influences through increased fire suppression, and integrate the role of other disturbances and their interactions with future fire regime.

Over the past decade, the scientific community has studied, experimented, and published a notable body of literature on the ecological enhancement of coastal and marine infrastructure (CMI). The Nature-Inclusive Design (NID) approach refers to methods and technologies that can be integrated into the design and construction of CMI to create a suitable habitat for native species (or communities) whose natural habitat has been degraded or reduced. To examine the compliance of new environmentally sensitive technologies with structural requirements and fiscal restraints, while providing ecosystem and habitat value, this paper presents the findings of a structural–economical–biological analysis of ecologically engineered Articulated Concrete Block Mattresses (ACBMs). To evaluate the structural and biological performance of the Ecological Articulated Concrete Block Mattresses, a pilot project was deployed in April 2017 at Port Everglades, Florida, USA, and evaluated against controls of adj...

The land and ocean absorb on average over half of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) every year. These CO 2 "sinks" are modulated by climate change and variability. Here we use a suite of nine Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) and four Ocean Biogeochemical General Circulation Models (OBGCMs) to quantify BGD

Land vegetation is currently taking up large amounts of atmospheric CO2, possibly due to tree growth stimulation. Extant models predict that this growth stimulation will continue to cause a net carbon uptake this century. However, there are indications that increased growth rates may shorten trees′ lifespan and thus recent increases in forest carbon stocks may be transient due to lagged increases in mortality. Here we show that growth-lifespan trade-offs are indeed near universal, occurring across almost all species and climates. This trade-off is directly linked to faster growth reducing tree lifespan, and not due to covariance with climate or environment. Thus, current tree growth stimulation will, inevitably, result in a lagged increase in canopy tree mortality, as is indeed widely observed, and eventually neutralise carbon gains due to growth stimulation. Results from a strongly data-based forest simulator confirm these expectations. Extant Earth system model projections of glob...

Both resource usage and greenhouse gas emission problems are significant problems worldwide, and these problems emphasize the need for engineering materials for environmental sustainability. The research uses case studies and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to select alternative materials such as geopolymer concrete, hempcrete, recycled metals, bamboo, engineered wood and bioplastics. The tested materials align closer with circular economy principles, have a lower carbon footprint, and have lower embodied energy than conventional materials such as Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), virgin steel, and virgin plastic. The research supports dual environmental and socioeconomic benefits as it proves carbon sequestration through energy efficiency and rural employment development through sourcing local materials. Two real Sri Lankan case examples demonstrate how earthbag housing was rebuilt after tsunamis and commercial buildings were LEED certified, showing the actual project execution. Some material costs, regulatory and material procurement, technical competitions and obstacles exist. Three innovations are explored as future solutions, including 3D printed geopolymer structures, bio fabrication insulation and innovative materials, global best practices and 'early adoption' trends. Although updated building regulations and specialized training combined with government incentives can eventually help unlock widespread implementation, it is also demonstrated that we need localized LCA information. Sri Lanka offers an effective way to take an approach that integrates sustainable materials in climate resilience development to serve in the attainment of sustainable development goals and drive an environmentally friendly green building sector. The research conducted is a reference point to provide stakeholders with a means of making choices which combine environmental conservation with technical standards and monetary factors.

What processes control the accumulation and storage of carbon (C) in the mineral subsoil beneath peat? To find out we investigated four podzolic mineral subsoil profiles from forest and beneath peat in Lakkasuo mire in central boreal Finland. The amount of C in the mineral subsoil ranged from 3.9 to 8.1 kg m À2 over a thickness of 70 cm and that in the organic horizons ranged from 1.8 to 144 kg m À2 . Rates of increase of subsoil C were initially large (14 g m À2 year À1 ) as the upland forest soil was paludified, but decreased to < 2 g m À2 year À1 from 150 to 3000 years. The subsoils retained extractable aluminium (Al) but lost iron (Fe) as the surrounding forest podzols were paludified beneath the peat. A stepwise, ordinary least-squares regression indicated a strong relation (R 2 ¼ 0.91) between organic C concentration of 26 podzolic subsoil samples and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate-extractable Fe (negative), ammonium oxalate-extractable Al (positive) and null-point concentration of dissolved organic C (DOC np ) (positive). We examined the ability of the subsoil samples to sorb dissolved organic C from a solution derived from peat. Null-point concentration of dissolved C (DOC np ) ranged from 35 to 83 mg l À1 , and generally decreased from the upper to the lower parts of the profiles (average E, B and C horizon DOC np concentrations of 64, 47 and 42 mg l À1 ). The DOC np was positively correlated with percentage of soil C and silt and clay content. The concentration of dissolved organic C in pore water in the peat ranged from 12 to 60 mg l À1 (average 33 mg l À1 ), suggesting that the sorptive capacity of the subsoil horizons for C had been exhausted. We suggest that the increase of C contents in the subsoil beneath mires is related to adsorption of dissolved organic C and slow mineralization under anaerobic conditions.

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is one of the first Earth observation satellites being developed by NASA in response to the National Research Council's Decadal Survey. SMAP will make global measurements of the soil moisture present at the Earth's land surface and will distinguish frozen from thawed land surfaces. Direct observations of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state from space will allow significantly improved estimates of water, energy, and carbon transfers between the land and the atmosphere. The accuracy of numerical models of the atmosphere used in weather prediction and climate projections are critically dependent on the correct characterization of these transfers. Soil moisture measurements are also directly applicable to flood assessment and drought monitoring. SMAP observations can help monitor these natural hazards, resulting in potentially great economic and social benefits. SMAP observations of soil moisture and freeze/thaw timing will also reduce a major uncertainty in quantifying the global carbon balance by helping to resolve an apparent missing carbon sink on land over the boreal latitudes. The SMAP mission concept will utilize L-band radar and radiometer instruments sharing a rotating 6-m mesh reflector antenna to provide highresolution and high-accuracy global maps of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state every two to three days. In addition, the SMAP project will use these observations with advanced modeling and data assimilation to provide deeper root-zone soil moisture and net ecosystem exchange of carbon. SMAP is scheduled for launch in the 2014-2015 time frame.

This paper reexamines evidence for systematic errors in atmospheric transport models, in terms of the diagnostics used to infer vertical mixing rates from models and observations. Different diagnostics support different conclusions about transport model errors that could imply either stronger or weaker northern terrestrial carbon sinks. Conventional mixing diagnostics are compared to analyzed vertical mixing rates using data from the US Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility, the CarbonTracker data assimilation system based on Transport Model version 5 (TM5), and atmospheric reanalyses. The results demonstrate that diagnostics based on boundary layer depth and vertical concentration gradients do not always indicate the vertical mixing strength. Vertical mixing rates are anti-correlated with boundary layer depth at some sites, diminishing in summer when the boundary layer is deepest. Boundary layer equilibrium concepts predict an inverse proportionality between CO 2 vertical gradients and vertical mixing strength, such that previously reported discrepancies between observations and models most likely reflect overestimated as opposed to underestimated vertical mixing. However, errors in seasonal concentration gradients can also result from errors in modeled surface fluxes. This study proposes using the timescale for approach to boundary layer equilibrium to diagnose vertical mixing independently of seasonal surface fluxes, with applications to observations and model simulations of CO 2 or other conserved boundary layer tracers with surface sources and sinks. Results indicate that frequently cited discrepancies between observations and inverse estimates do not provide sufficient proof of systematic errors in atmospheric transport models. Some previously

This paper shows how the slow process of forestland restitution, which is unfolding in Romania since 1991 has eroded the threads of sustainable forest management by an insidious institutional amnesia (IA). The four symptoms of this harmful process (frequent reorganization, transition from paperwork to electronic media, fewer people motivated to join public services, and popularity of radical changes) were analyzed from the legal standing point as well as from practitioners’ perspective. After having described the legal process and the relative dependencies between laws and government ordinances we also showed that the three laws on forestland restoration (three fully operational laws and two bills submitted in 2019, one year before general elections) were produced by unintended policy arrangements. The legal loopholes of forestland restitution were described in details as well as the challenges brought about by nature conservation policy (Natura 2000 management plans v traditional f...