Lolium perenne Grasslands May Function as a Sink for Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Model calculations and scenario studies suggest the existence of a considerable positive feedback between temperature and CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Rising temperatures are supposed to increase decomposition of soil organic C leading to increased production of CO2 and this extra CO2 induces a pos...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental quality 1999-09, Vol.28 (5), p.1580-1584
Main Authors: Ginkel, J. H., Whitmore, A. P., Gorissen, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
AIR POLLUTION
Applied sciences
Atmospheric pollution
Biological and medical sciences
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON SINKS
Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lolium perenne
Organic matter
Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils
Plant Research International
Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution
Pollution
RYE
Soil science
SOILS
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Summary:Model calculations and scenario studies suggest the existence of a considerable positive feedback between temperature and CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Rising temperatures are supposed to increase decomposition of soil organic C leading to increased production of CO2 and this extra CO2 induces a positive feedback by raising the temperature still further. Evidence was found that negative feedback mechanisms also exist: more primary production is allocated to roots as atmospheric CO2 rises and these roots decompose more slowly than roots grown at ambient CO2 levels. Experimental data partly obtained with 14C‐techniques were applied in a grassland C model. The model results show that at an atmospheric CO2 concentration of 700 µL L−1 increased belowground C storage will be more than sufficient to balance the increased decomposition of soil organic C in a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) grassland soil. Once a doubling of the present atmospheric CO2 concentration has been reached, C equivalent to 55% of the annual CO2 increase above 1 ha ryegrass can be withdrawn from the atmosphere. This indicates that grassland soils represent a significant sink for rising atmospheric CO2.
ISSN:0047-2425
1537-2537
DOI:10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800050023x