Following carbon paths in the ecosystem
The EC-funded EUROFACE project employed a known technology (FACE) to study the role of forest plantations as mitigators of the effects of greenhouse gases. Also, project partners sought to quantify the uptake of carbon (C) by soil (and subsequent storage) during climatic change conditions. Partners examined the effect of litter on C sequestration in soil; litter decomposition is considered one of the key processes affecting C exchange between atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere. Researchers tested the hypothesis that elevated CO2 and soil nitrogen (N) availability can influence just how much C is lost by decomposing litter. Leaf litter enriched with carbon isotope 13C was incubated over a period of 10 months under controlled conditions in natural and N fertilised soil conditions. Results showed that soil was enriched with 13C at a depth of up to 5cm in the tested areas where litter was left to decompose. A lot more C was transferred to soil as compared to that released to the atmosphere as CO2. The results indicate that most C from leaf litter enters the soil as fragmented pieces of litter. Further insight into how above-ground litter can affect C sequestration is needed in order to shed light on this extremely important aspect of the carbon cycle.
