Soil carbon dioxide partial pressure and dissolved inorganic carbonate chemistry under elevated carbon dioxide and ozone

Global emissions of atmospheric CO₂ and tropospheric O₃ are rising and expected to impact large areas of the Earths forests. While CO₂ stimulates net primary production, O₃ reduces photosynthesis, altering plant C allocation and reducing ecosystem C storage. The effects of multiple air pollutants can alter belowground C allocation, leading to changes in the partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) in the soil , chemistry of dissolved inorganic carbonate (DIC) and the rate of mineral weathering. As this system represents a linkage between the long- and short-term C cycles and sequestration of atmospheric CO₂, changes in atmospheric chemistry that affect net primary production may alter the fate of C in these ecosystems. To date, little is known about the combined effects of elevated CO₂ and O₃ on the inorganic C cycle in forest systems. Free air CO₂ and O₃ enrichment (FACE) technology was used at the Aspen FACE project in Rhinelander, Wisconsin to understand how elevated atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ interact to alter pCO₂ and DIC concentrations in the soil. Ambient and elevated CO₂ levels were 360±16 and 542±81 l l^–1, respectively; ambient and elevated O₃ levels were 33±14 and 49±24 nl l^–1, respectively. Measured concentrations of soil CO₂ and calculated concentrations of DIC increased over the growing season by 14 and 22%, respectively, under elevated atmospheric CO₂ and were unaffected by elevated tropospheric O₃. The increased concentration of DIC altered inorganic carbonate chemistry by increasing system total alkalinity by 210%, likely due to enhanced chemical weathering. The study also demonstrated the close coupling between the seasonal ¹³C of soil pCO₂ and DIC, as a mixing model showed that new atmospheric CO₂ accounted for approximately 90% of the C leaving the system as DIC. This study illustrates the potential of using stable isotopic techniques and FACE technology to examine long- and short-term ecosystem C sequestration.     

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide increases soil carbon

The general lack of significant changes in mineral soil C stocks during CO₂‐enrichment experiments has cast doubt on predictions that increased soil C can partially offset rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Here, we show, through meta‐analysis techniques, that these experiments collectively exhibited a 5.6% increase in soil C over 2–9 years, at a median rate of 19 g C m^?2 yr^?1. We also measured C accrual in deciduous forest and grassland soils, at rates exceeding 40 g C m^?2 yr^?1 for 5–8 years, because both systems responded to CO₂ enrichment with large increases in root production. Even though native C stocks were relatively large, over half of the accrued C at both sites was incorporated into microaggregates, which protect C and increase its longevity. Our data, in combination with the meta‐analysis, demonstrate the potential for mineral soils in diverse temperate ecosystems to store additional C in response to CO₂ enrichment.     

Tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide

Tropical forests play a major role in determining the current atmospheric concentration of CO2, as both sources of CO2 following deforestation and sinks of CO2 probably resulting from CO2 stimulation of forest photosynthesis. Recently, researchers have tried to quantify this role. The results suggest that both the carbon sources and sinks in tropical forests are significantly greater than previously thought.     

二氧化碳人工生物转化

二氧化碳(carbon dioxide, CO₂)资源化利用是全球可持续发展面临的巨大挑战。自然界生物固碳绿色环保,但能效低、速度慢,难以满足工业生产需求;物理化学固碳效率高,但能耗高、产品单一,如何结合生物、物理与化学技术优势,以二氧化碳为原料进行生物转化利用是当前迫切需要解决的科技难题。本文结合中国科学院天津工业生物技术研究所建所10年来的发展,综述了人工固碳元件、途径与系统的设计与构建等前沿基础领域取得的重要进展,特别是首次实现二氧化碳人工合成淀粉,并对建立二氧化碳人工生物转化技术体系进行了展望。相关进展与展望为助力实现“碳达峰、碳中和”目标提供了新思路。