Home › News ›

Warmer forests expel carbon from soils creating "vicious cycle"

PrintPrint
Publication Date: 
June 13, 2012
Author: 
Jeremy Hance
News Source: 
Mongabay
As the world warms, temperate forests could become a source of carbon dioxide emission rather than a sink according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Scientists found that two forest sites in the U.S. (Wisconsin and North Carolina) emitted long-stored carbon from their soils when confronted with temperatures 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5-11.1 degrees Celsius) higher than average.
 

"We found that decades-old carbon in surface soils is released to the atmosphere faster when temperatures become warmer," explained lead author Francesca Hopkins with the UNiversity of California Irvine in a press release. "This suggests that soils could accelerate global warming through a vicious cycle in which man-made warming releases carbon from soils to the atmosphere, which, in turn, would warm the planet more."
 

Read the full story from Mongabay here

More news coverage on this topic
"Global Warming Threat Seen in Fertile Soil of Northeastern U.S. Forests" (June 11, 2012) -- Science Daily.

 

Disclaimer: Ecosystem Marketplace is committed to giving our readers access the full spectrum of resources and voices engaged in the forest carbon world here on the Forest Carbon Portal.  We have provided links to resources here because we believe they are likely to be of interest to our readers.  Ecosystem Marketplace does not endorse or vouch for the content or views of third-party authors or organizations excerpted here or linked to from this site.