scholarly journals Microbial evolution reshapes soil carbon feedbacks to climate change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Abs ◽  
Scott R. Saleska ◽  
Regis Ferriere
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Microbial Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Microbial Decomposition ◽  
Microbial Responses ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Global Carbon

AbstractMicrobial decomposition of soil organic matter is a key component of the global carbon cycle. As Earth’s climate changes, the response of microbes and microbial enzymes to rising temperatures will largely determine the soil carbon feedback to atmospheric CO2. However, while increasing attention focuses on physiological and ecological mechanisms of microbial responses, the role of evolutionary adaptation has been little studied. To address this gap, we developed an ecosystem-evolutionary model of a soil microbe-enzyme system under warming. Constraining the model with observations from five contrasting sites reveals evolutionary aggravation of soil carbon loss to be the most likely outcome; however, temperature-dependent increases in mortality could cause an evolutionary buffering effect instead. We generally predict a strong latitudinal pattern, from small evolutionary effects at low latitude to large evolutionary effects at high latitudes. Accounting for evolutionary mechanisms will likely be critical for improving projections of Earth system responses to climate change.

ROLE OF TERRESTRIAL SEQUESTRATION IN MEETING KYOTO TARGETS

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
I.R. Noble
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Geological Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gasses ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Global Carbon

There is strong scientific consensus that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing due to human activities and that this is leading to changes in the Earth’s climate. Fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere are a significant component of the global carbon cycle and actions to increase net storage in terrestrial ecosystems (often called sinks) will delay the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There is still political debate as to which sinks may be accounted in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. The decisions made will affect the total costs of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol by a factor or two to four. Geological sequestration may also reduce emissions by an amount of the same order as sequestration in terrestrial sinks. Biological and geological sequestration offer a significant opportunity to buy several decades of time to make an efficient transition to technologies and economies that release less greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere from energy production and industrial processes.

scholarly journals Response of microbial decomposition to spin-up explains CMIP5 soil carbon range until 2100

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 3481-3504 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-F. Exbrayat ◽  
A. J. Pitman ◽  
G. Abramowitz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Soil Carbon Storage ◽  
Microbial Decomposition ◽  
Transient Simulations ◽  
Intercomparison Project ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Carbon Stores

Abstract. Soil carbon storage simulated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models varies 6-fold for the present day. We show that this range already exists at the beginning of the historical simulations and demonstrate that it is mostly an artifact of the representation of microbial decomposition and its response during the spin-up procedure used by the models. The 6-fold range in soil carbon, once established, is maintained through the present and to 2100 almost unchanged even under a strong business-as-usual emissions scenario. By highlighting the role of the response of decomposition to spin-up in explaining why current CMIP5 soil carbon stores vary widely, we identify the need to better constrain the outcome of this procedure as a means to reduce uncertainty in transient simulations.

scholarly journals Carbon Fluxes and Stocks by Mexican Tropical Forested Wetland Soils: A Critical Review of Its Role for Climate Change Mitigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7372
Author(s):  
Sergio Zamora ◽  
Luis Carlos Sandoval-Herazo ◽  
Gastón Ballut-Dajud ◽  
Oscar Andrés Del Ángel-Coronel ◽  
Erick Arturo Betanzo-Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Wetland Soils ◽  
Carbon Sinks ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Global Carbon

Wetland soils are important stores of soil carbon (C) in the biosphere, and play an important role in global carbon cycles in the response strategy to climate change. However, there areknowledge gaps in our understanding of the quantity and distribution in tropical regions. Specifically, Mexican wetlands have not been considered in global carbon budgets or carbon balances for a number of reasons, such as: (1) the lack of data, (2) Spanish publications have not been selected, or (3) because such balances are mainly made in the English language. This study analyzes the literature regarding carbon stocks, sequestration and fluxes in Mexican forested wetlands (Forest-W). Soil carbon stocks of 8, 24.5 and 40.1 kg cm−2 were detected for flooded palms, mangroves, and freshwater or swamps (FW) wetland soils, respectively, indicating that FW soils are the Forest-W with more potential for carbon sinks (p = 0.023), compared to mangroves and flooded palm soils. While these assessments of carbon sequestration were ranged from 36 to 920 g-C m−2 year−1, C emitted as methane was also tabulated (0.6–196 g-C m−2 year−1). Subtracting the C emitted of the C sequestered, 318.2 g-C m−2 year−1 were obtained. Such data revealed that Forest-W function is mainly as carbon sink, and not C source. This review can help to inform practitioners in future decisions regarding sustainable projects, restoration, conservation or creation of wetlands. Finally, it is concluded that Forest-W could be key ecosystems in strategies addressing the mitigation of climate change through carbon storage. However, new studies in this research line and public policies that protect these essential carbon sinks are necessary in order to, hopefully, elaborate global models to make more accurate predictions about future climate.

scholarly journals Changes in the Shadow: The Shifting Role of Shaded Leaves in Global Carbon and Water Cycles Under Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 5052-5061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liming He ◽  
Jing M. Chen ◽  
Alemu Gonsamo ◽  
Xiangzhong Luo ◽  
Rong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Carbon ◽  
Water Cycles

Considering the Role of “Need for Cognition” in Students’ Acceptance of Climate Change & Evolution

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Kudrna ◽  
Marta Shore ◽  
Deena Wassenberg
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Need For Cognition ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
The Relationship

Anthropogenic climate change (ACC) and evolution are examples of issues that are perceived differently by scientists and the general public. Within the scientific community, there are clear consensuses that human activities are increasing global temperatures (ACC) and that evolutionary mechanisms have led to the biodiversity of life on Earth (evolution). However, there is much debate in the public discourse about the scientific evidence supporting these topics. The purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between a student’s need for cognition (NFC) – preference to engage in and enjoy thinking – and the student’s acceptance of ACC and evolution. The results revealed that students with a higher NFC were more accepting of both ACC and evolution. Future investigations should include evaluating the efficacy of different instructional techniques on NFC and acceptance of polarizing topics such as evolution and ACC.

Introduction to this special section: The role of geophysics in a net-zero-carbon world

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-244
Author(s):  
Ismael Himar Falcon-Suarez ◽  
Arpita Pal Bathija
Keyword(s):  
Special Section ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Global Carbon

Human activities are changing the earth's climate, causing increasingly disruptive social and ecological impacts. These impacts can be reduced if global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reach net zero in the near future. A net-zero-carbon world can be achieved by using energy more efficiently and responsibly; transitioning toward energy sources, products, and services that minimize greenhouse gas release; and implementing existing and novel technologies to remove and store CO2 from the atmosphere.

The Role of Late-Night Infotainment Comedy in Communicating Climate Change Consensus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward John Roy Clarke ◽  
Anna Klas ◽  
Joshua Stevenson ◽  
Emily Jane Kothe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
Late Night ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
Diverse Audience

Climate change is a politically-polarised issue, with conservatives less likely than liberals to perceive it as human-caused and consequential. Furthermore, they are less likely to support mitigation and adaptation policies needed to reduce its impacts. This study aimed to examine whether John Oliver’s “A Mathematically Representative Climate Change Debate” clip on his program Last Week Tonight polarised or depolarised a politically-diverse audience on climate policy support and behavioural intentions. One hundred and fifty-nine participants, recruited via Amazon MTurk (94 female, 64 male, one gender unspecified, Mage = 51.07, SDage = 16.35), were presented with either John Oliver’s climate change consensus clip, or a humorous video unrelated to climate change. Although the climate change consensus clip did not reduce polarisation (or increase it) relative to a control on mitigation policy support, it resulted in hyperpolarisation on support for adaptation policies and increased climate action intentions among liberals but not conservatives.

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