Abstract
The abundance of C02 in the atmosphere has increased from ~315 ppmv in 1958 to ~350 ppmv in the 1990s. The increase in the decade of the 1980s is ~55% of the C02 release from fossil fuel combustion, estimated at 5.5 Pg C yr-1, or ~40% of the total anthropogenic source, from fossil fuel combustion plus land use modification (estimated at 1.6 Pg C yr-1). Thus, mass balance requires the removal of ~60% of the anthropogenic C02 by the surface. The partitioning of the C02 sink between the ocean and land is a subject of intense debate and research. As the residence time of C02 in the terrestrial biosphere is much shorter than that in the ocean, C02 sequestered now in the terrestrial biosphere may be returned to the atmosphere in the next 50-100 years to accelerate greenhouse warming (see Woodwell 1995). Therefore, understanding the mechanisms responsible for the C02 uptake is crucial for projections of future C02 levels in the atmosphere.
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Fung, I. (1996). The global carbon cycle and the atmospheric record: “The problem definition”. In: Apps, M.J., Price, D.T. (eds) Forest Ecosystems, Forest Management and the Global Carbon Cycle. NATO ASI Series, vol 40. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61111-7_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61111-7_3
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