Better than biochar? Greg
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/131015/ncomms3576/full/ncomms3576.html Earthworms facilitate carbon sequestration through unequal amplification of carbon stabilization compared with mineralization Yuanhu Shao& Shenglei FuAffiliationsContributionsCorresponding author , Deborah A. Neher,Jianxiong Li Roger A. Burke,Jianping Wu, Paul F. Hendrix,Lauren E. Dame, Weixin Zhang,Nature Communications 4, Article number: 2576 doi:10.1038/ncomms3576 Received 28 April 2013 Accepted 09 September 2013 Published 15 October 2013 Article tools Abstract A recent review concluded that earthworm presence increases CO2 emissions by 33% but does not affect soil organic carbon stocks. However, the findings are controversial and raise new questions. Here we hypothesize that neither an increase in CO2 emission nor in stabilized carbon would entirely reflect the earthworms’ contribution to net carbon sequestration. We show how two widespread earthworm invaders affect net carbon sequestration through impacts on the balance of carbon mineralization and carbon stabilization. Earthworms accelerate carbon activation and induce unequal amplification of carbon stabilization compared with carbon mineralization, which generates an earthworm-mediated ‘carbon trap’. We introduce the new concept of sequestration quotient to quantify the unequal processes. The patterns of CO2 emission and net carbon sequestration are predictable by comparing sequestration quotient values between treatments with and without earthworms. This study clarifies an ecological mechanism by which earthworms may regulate the terrestrial carbon sink. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
