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Carbon cycling in soil
Author(s) -
Johnston Carol A.,
Groffman Peter,
Breshears David D.,
Cardon Zoe G.,
Currie William,
Emanuel William,
Gaudinski Julia,
Jackson Robert B.,
Lajtha Kate,
Nadelhoffer Knute,
Nelson David,
Post W Mac,
Retallack Greg,
Wielopolski Lucian
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0522:ccis]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - carbon cycle , environmental science , soil carbon , carbon fibers , ecosystem , terrestrial ecosystem , greenhouse gas , soil water , carbon sequestration , soil organic matter , earth science , global change , climate change , ecology , soil science , carbon dioxide , biology , geology , materials science , composite number , composite material
As yet, nobody knows what effects climate change will have on soil carbon reserves, or how those changes will affect the global carbon cycle. Soils are the primary terrestrial repository for carbon, so minor changes in the balance between belowground carbon storage and release could have major impacts on greenhouse gases. Soil fauna, roots, fungi, and microbes interact with mineral and organic matter to process soil carbon. Studies have been hampered by the difficulty of observing processes beneath the earth's surface, but advances in science and technology are improving our ability to understand belowground ecosystems.