![]() ![]() Small additions to the atmosphere over a long time have an enormous effect on the global carbon cycle. The amount of carbon stored in the Earth’s atmosphere is miniscule compared to the amount stored in oceans, soils, and geologic formations. Knowledge of turnover within ecosystems can inform management decisions that affect the rate of carbon turnover, ultimately influencing the flux of carbon into and out of ecosystems.įigure: Average ecosystem turnover times (years) of different terrestrial carbon pools. The turnover of carbon within ecosystems across the globe gives an idea of where carbon might be most vulnerable to release as CO 2 to the atmosphere. Carbon that enters or leaves a stock is referred to as a flux, and the average rate at which carbon flows through a stock is called carbon turnover. This means that carbon in many stocks, whether global or local, can be quite dynamic. Warm tropical regions tend to store much more carbon in the above ground components compared to belowground while the cool regions of the boreal forest have enormous belowground carbon stores.įigure: Carbon (Gt C) stored in ecosystems (based on Scharlemann et al., 2014).Ĭarbon is exchanged between different stocks in the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Different forest types store different amounts of carbon, and much of this variation is related to the climate found in a particular part of the world. Forests account for 92% of all terrestrial biomass globally, storing approximately 400 GtC (8), but this is not homogenously distributed across the Earth. In addition, permafrost (frozen soil) stores a large pool of carbon that is climatically protected from decomposition (4)(5), although more and more of this pool is becoming available as the average global temperature rises (6)(7).įigure: Global carbon stocks (carbon stored in pools), shown in gigatons.įorests take up carbon through photosynthesis and this carbon is subsequently allocated above and belowground, contributing to the global forest stock. Soils store approximately 1,325 GtC in the top few feet and perhaps as much as 3,000 GtC in total when deeper depths are included (3). The atmosphere, although a relatively smaller carbon stock containing 839 GtC, still plays a very important role as it contains carbon mainly in the form of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Oceanic carbon is the next largest stock over 95% of oceanic carbon is mainly present in the form of inorganic dissolved carbon, although only 900 gigatons of carbon (GtC) is available for exchange in the surface ocean. The Earth’s largest carbon stock is found within the continental crusts and upper mantle of the Earth, a large portion of which is sedimentary rock formed over millions of years (2). The amount of carbon stored in a particular system is called a “stock” or a “pool”. greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels (1).Īcross the globe, carbon is stored in different places and in different forms. forests and associated wood products increased by more than 600 million metric tons in 2014, offsetting a substantial amount of U.S. Because of these processes, forests and other natural ecosystems can store considerable amounts of carbon and act as an important global carbon sink. When leaves fall and decompose or when plants die, the carbon that was stored in plants is released through respiration or combustion and transferred back to the atmosphere or to the soil. Plants take up carbon dioxide (CO 2) and release oxygen (O 2) during photosynthesis, which transfers carbon to their stems, roots, and leaves as they grow. The carbon cycle supports all life by transferring carbon between living things and the environment. This topic page was developed using information from the report Considering Forest and Grassland Carbon in Land Management (WO-GTR-95) BackgroundĬarbon is one of the most important elements found on Earth. Maria Janowiak, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, US Forest Service, Houghton, MI.Ĭhris Swanston, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, US Forest Service, Houghton, MI. Zac Kayler, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, US Forest Service, Albany, CA.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |