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Ecosystem carbon storage

Squeezing the Arctic carbon balloon

Nature Climate Change volume 2, pages 841–842 (2012)Cite this article

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The advancement of trees into Arctic tundra can increase total aboveground carbon storage. A study now shows, however, that greater plant growth also enhances belowground decomposition, resulting in a net loss of carbon from the ecosystem.

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Figure 1: Hartley et al.3 show that as tundra systems give way to birch forest, more ecosystem carbon is harboured in aboveground pools, at a net loss of total ecosystem carbon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evan S. Kane is at the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 410 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA, and Michigan Technological University, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA,

    Evan S. Kane

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  1. Evan S. Kane
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Correspondence to Evan S. Kane.

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Kane, E. Squeezing the Arctic carbon balloon. Nature Clim Change 2, 841–842 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1764

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