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Science 5 September 2008:
Vol. 321. no. 5894, p. 1295
DOI: 10.1126/science.1160005
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Technical Comments

Comment on "Fire-Derived Charcoal Causes Loss of Forest Humus"

Johannes Lehmann1* and Saran Sohi2

Wardle et al. (Brevia, 2 May 2008, p. 629) reported that fire-derived charcoal can promote loss of forest humus and belowground carbon (C). However, C loss from charcoal-humus mixtures can be explained not only by accelerated loss of humus but also by loss of charcoal. It is also unclear whether such loss is related to mineralization to carbon dioxide or to physical export.

1 Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 909 Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
2 Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: CL273{at}cornell.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)