"Soils Unable To Sustain Plant Growth Over Time" In High CO2 Atmosphere

[hatrack]

Earth's plant life will not be able to "store" excess carbon from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as well as scientists once thought because plants likely cannot get enough nutrients, such as nitrogen, when there are higher levels of carbon dioxide, according to scientists publishing in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

That, in turn, is likely to dampen the ability of plants to offset increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

"We found that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may rise even faster than anticipated, because ecosystems likely will not store as much carbon as had been predicted," said Peter Reich of the University of Minnesota, lead author of the study, which was conducted at the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Cedar Creek Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in Minn.

"As a result, soils will be unable to sustain plant growth over time ," said plant ecologist David Ellsworth of the University of Michigan. Estimating the role of terrestrial ecosystems as current and future sinks--or storage places--for excess carbon dioxide hinges on an ability to understand the complex interaction between atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen in soils, the scientists believe.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Higher_Carbon_Dioxide_Lack_Of_Nitrogen_Limit_Plant_Growth.html

[depakid]

1. Yet another of those nasty little feedback loops

Soils turn from CO2 sinks into CO2 emitters.

[Viking12]

2. Not so much as emitters...

...just not as efficient sinks previously assumed. The real significance here is that "soild will be unable to sustain plant growth over time". As elevated CO2 boosts growth rates in the short-term, more nutrients will be drawn from soils leaving them infertile in the long-run. Not a good omen for ag production.

[Pooka Fey]

3. Doh!!

You mean the plants may stop growing??? Just because people like to drive in their cushy comforty Escalades??? That's bad, right???