Soil takes its fill of carbon

By: Richard A. Gill et al

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<h1>Soil takes its fill of carbon</h1>
<h4>By: Richard A. Gill <i>et al</i></h4>
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<TD class=tabletext><IMG height=105 src="http://c96265.r65.cf3.rackcdn.com/2002may_kenya_field.jpg" width=158></TD></TR></TABLE><BR>The ability of soil to store carbon will weaken as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise to the amounts predicted for the end of this century, suggests a report in <em>Nature</em> this week. <BR><BR>Richard A. Gill of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues present evidence from field experiments on a grassland ecosystem. They show that soil’s traditional role as a carbon sink could now be at an important threshold. <BR><BR>Soils may have played a role in taking up carbon dioxide since the last ice age, but their ability to continue to do so may be limited by nutrient availability, warn the researchers. <BR><BR>Source: <em>Nature</em> 417, 279 (2002)<BR><BR><a href="http://www.nature.com/login/scidev_login.taf?ref=/nature/journal/v417/n6886/full/417279a_fs.html" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to paper by Richard A. Gill et al </A><BR><BR><STRONG>Photo credit</STRONG>: David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia, Image 0005012. ForestryImages.org.http://www.forestryimages.org/. May 16, 2002.</p>

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The ability of soil to store carbon will weaken as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise to the amounts predicted for the end of this century, suggests a report in Nature this week.

Richard A. Gill of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues present evidence from field experiments on a grassland ecosystem. They show that soil’s traditional role as a carbon sink could now be at an important threshold.

Soils may have played a role in taking up carbon dioxide since the last ice age, but their ability to continue to do so may be limited by nutrient availability, warn the researchers.

Source: Nature 417, 279 (2002)

Link to paper by Richard A. Gill et al

Photo credit: David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia, Image 0005012. ForestryImages.org.http://www.forestryimages.org/. May 16, 2002.