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Reduced effectiveness of terrestrial carbon sequestration due to an antagonistic response of ocean productivity
Author(s) -
Ridgwell Andy J.,
Maslin Mark A.,
Watson Andrew J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl014304
Subject(s) - carbon sequestration , productivity , environmental science , carbon cycle , carbon fibers , atmosphere (unit) , earth system science , aeolian processes , global change , earth science , natural resource economics , oceanography , climate change , carbon dioxide , ecology , geology , ecosystem , meteorology , biology , geography , materials science , geomorphology , composite number , economics , composite material , macroeconomics
Biological productivity in a number of ocean regions appears to be at least partly limited by the availability of iron. Any reduction in the present‐day aeolian iron supply to the open ocean is therefore likely to result in further limitation of productivity. The stabilization of soils for the purpose of carbon sequestration could give rise to such an effect. With the aid of a global carbon cycle model, we show that the effectiveness of carbon removal from the atmosphere by sequestration on land will be diminished as a result of a reduction of up to 9% in the rate of anthropogenic CO 2 uptake by the ocean. This interconnectedness, both within the `natural' system and in relation to human activities, highlights the importance of analyzing global change within an integrated ‘Earth system’ framework.