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Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration

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Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere

Abstract

Terrestrial ecosystems take up carbon (C) from the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) pool during photosynthesis, and return the majority of it back by combustion or the respiration of plants, animals and microorganisms. Some of the recently fixed C remains in terrestrial ecosystems in stabilized forms in biomass and soil after conversion to inert, long-lived, C-containing materials by biologically mediated processes (biosequestration). To slow or reverse the increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration an additional transfer of C into terrestrial C pools is needed, i.e., by C sequestration. The terrestrial C sink was about 2.6 Pg C (1 Pg = 1015 g) in 2010 but has a high interannual variability. However, world forests play a critical role, and are responsible for about half of the total terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) of 123 Pg C year−1. Only between 0.3 and 5.0 Pg C year−1 remains as net biome production (NBP) in terrestrial ecosystems with the major long-lasting C gain by, rather poorly understood but important, soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization. However, the terrestrial C sinks can be enhanced by soil and land-use management practices. The CO2 mitigation potentials of croplands and grasslands may be about 0.8 Mg C ha−1 year−1 and 0.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1, respectively. The effects of forest management activities on C sequestration are also important but less well known. Enhancing the photosynthetic efficiency and increasing root C inputs particularly at deeper soil depths are potential approaches for terrestrial C sequestration. However, C sequestration is also a critical component of agricultural and forest ecosystem services (ESs) but unintentional consequences of management for C sequestration on ESs are not known. Thus, long-term agricultural and forest management experiments are needed to identify soil and land-use management practices aimed at enhancing C sequestration and ESs.

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Abbreviations

BVOC:

Biogenic volatile organic carbon

CAM:

Crassulacean acid metabolism

DIC:

Dissolved inorganic carbon

DOC:

Dissolved organic carbon

DOE:

Department of Energy

ESs:

Ecosystem service(s)

GPP:

Gross primary production

IPCC:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

MEA:

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

NBP:

Net biome production

NECB:

Net ecosystem carbon balance

NEE:

Net ecosystem exchange

NPP:

Net primary production

OM:

Organic matter

PC:

Particulate carbon

Pg:

Petagram

Ra :

Autotrophic respiration

SIC:

Soil inorganic carbon

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

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Acknowledgements 

Klaus Lorenz greatly acknowledges financial support by the Bundesminis-terium für Bildung und Forschung and its platform for sustainable development FONA, and the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur - Land Brandenburg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Soil Forum, IASS Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies Potsdam, Berliner Strasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

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  1. Klaus Lorenz
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Correspondence to Klaus Lorenz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Coffey Road Kottman Hall 422B 2021, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. , Global Soil Forum, IASS Inst. for Adv. Sust. Studies, Berliner Str. 130, Potsdam, 14467, Brandenburg, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl

  4. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg 309G, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Bernd Uwe Schneider

  5. Universität Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Bonn, 53113, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

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Lorenz, K. (2013). Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration. In: Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R., Schneider, B., von Braun, J. (eds) Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6455-2_3

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