Professor of Environmental Science Richard Bowden coauthored “Temperate forest soils sequester as much carbon as trees in response to nitrogen deposition” in the journal Biogeochemistry. The work, based on a 25-year experiment at the Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Site, shows that nitrogen deposition from acid rain is slowing the rate of nutrient cycling, and increasing storage of carbon in soils. Long-term reductions in nutrient cycling may lead to reductions in forest productivity. Bowden also co-authored “Changes to Particulate versus Mineral-Associated Soil Carbon after 50 years of Litter Manipulation in Forest and Prairie Experimental Ecosystems” in Biogeochemistry. Using a 50-year experiment, the work shows reduced forest productivity results in long-term losses of soil carbon, but that accelerated productivity results in relatively small gains in soil carbon. These results help ecosystem modelers understand and predict the ability of ecosystem management to mitigate climate change.
September 4th 2015