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ReportsRising Atmospheric CO2 Reduces Sequestration of Root-Derived Soil Carbon
Forests have a key role as carbon sinks, which could potentially mitigate the continuing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and associated climate change. We show that carbon dioxide enrichment, although causing short-term growth stimulation in a range of European tree species, also leads to an increase in soil microbial respiration and a marked decline in sequestration of root-derived carbon in the soil. These findings indicate that, should similar processes operate in forest ecosystems, the size of the annual terrestrial carbon sink may be substantially reduced, resulting in a positive feedback on the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.heath{at}lancaster.ac.uk
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Present address: Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523–1499, USA. 
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