Title |
Sensitivity of Boreal Forest Carbon Balance to Soil Thaw
|
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Published in |
Science, January 1998
|
DOI | 10.1126/science.279.5348.214 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
M. L. Goulden, S. C. Wofsy, J. W. Harden, S. E. Trumbore, P. M. Crill, S. T. Gower, T. Fries, B. C. Daube, S.-M. Fan, D. J. Sutton, A. Bazzaz, J. W. Munger |
Abstract |
We used eddy covariance; gas-exchange chambers; radiocarbon analysis; wood, moss, and soil inventories; and laboratory incubations to measure the carbon balance of a 120-year-old black spruce forest in Manitoba, Canada. The site lost 0.3 +/- 0.5 metric ton of carbon per hectare per year (ton C ha-1 year-1) from 1994 to 1997, with a gain of 0.6 +/- 0.2 ton C ha-1 year-1 in moss and wood offset by a loss of 0.8 +/- 0.5 ton C ha-1 year-1 from the soil. The soil remained frozen most of the year, and the decomposition of organic matter in the soil increased 10-fold upon thawing. The stability of the soil carbon pool ( approximately 150 tons C ha-1) appears sensitive to the depth and duration of thaw, and climatic changes that promote thaw are likely to cause a net efflux of carbon dioxide from the site. |
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Geographical breakdown
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France | 3 | <1% |
Germany | 2 | <1% |
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Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Finland | 1 | <1% |
Czechia | 1 | <1% |
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Other | 5 | 1% |
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Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
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Researcher | 90 | 22% |
Student > Master | 50 | 12% |
Professor | 29 | 7% |
Student > Bachelor | 26 | 6% |
Other | 72 | 18% |
Unknown | 41 | 10% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
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Engineering | 6 | 1% |
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Other | 9 | 2% |
Unknown | 61 | 15% |