Forest carbon - Nitrogen trajectories

PROPOSAL: EVK2-1999-00035 ACRONYM FORCAST
AREA: FP5 - EESD, 5/ unknown KeyAction Call number / date: -
PROJECT TYPE: Shared Cost EU CONTRIBUTION: 2,810,000
STARTING DATE: 2000-03-01 DURATION: 36 months

Coordinator: Prof.dr. L.C. Prentice, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Institut Fuer Biogeochemie, Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 10, DE -07701, Jena, Germany, Email: cprentic@bgc-jena.mpg.de

Project Description:
The project addresses the controversial requirements set by the Kyoto Protocol and the Biodiversity Convention. The Kyoto Protocol seeks for biological sinks in order to balance fossil fuel emissions, and there is an economic stimulus for plantations with high productivity levels. These 'Kyoto Forests' may not be sustainable due to depletion in soils and may also result in a loss of biodiversity in plants and in soil organism. The effects on carbon stocks in the soil are largely unknown. There are experimental indications that productivity increases with diversity, and that in the long-term mono-cultures can result in soil degradation. Scientific objectives and approach The overall objective is to quantify carbon (C) sinks and sources in European semi-natural and managed forest ecosystems from measurements of changes in C stocks. The project will quantify effects of plants and soils on carbon fluxes under variable inputs of nitrogen and management regimes. Furthermore, it will predict and verify fluxes at the stand scale, which can be used at larger scale modelling and will also investigate the interaction of plant production and soil carbon decomposition with biodiversity over a broad range of N-depositions and environmental regimes. This will be achieved by continuous measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) within a number of forest stands to assess above and below ground ecosystem processes and to quantify the main components of the C sinks. Since chronosequences provide possibilities for temporal representation and spatial integration, this approach will be used to quantify the effects of vegetation and soil organic matter on ecosystem C fluxes over a rotation period and in relation to atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. Biogeochemical models indicate that forest after disturbance by logging, may be a C-source for as long as 30 years despite actively regeneration. The effects of management on ecosystem C fluxes, and in particular those management practices that may convert a forest from a C sink into a C source will examined.It remains at present unresolved to what extent biodiversity determines net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration and accumulation of soil organic matter. This will be analysed by investigating the interaction among plant production, decomposition of soil organic matter and especially of soil micro-organisms, over a broad range of environmental and forest management conditions. The test and application of a biogeochemical model on a broader range of environmental conditions, species and management options for interpretation and prediction of net carbon fluxes as required by the Kyoto Protocol complete the work. Expected impacts The project contributes to the decision making process of negotiation on the Kyoto Protocol by separating effects of plant production and soil organic matter decomposition on the net carbon balance of forest and its interaction with the nitrogen cycle and management regimes. The project will deliver data to governmental forest administrations, which will enable estimate of the biological sinks and sources in European forests.

Project URL: http://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/public/carboeur/Forcast/groups/04.html

Consortium:
Co-ordinator: Contact Person: Prentice, Lain Colin (Professor) Department: Institut Fuer Biogeochemie Organisation: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V. Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 10 07701 JENA GERMANY Tel: +49-36-41643770 Fax: +49-36-41643775 cprentic@bgc-jena.mpg.de Participants Contact Person: MALLABAND, Anne (Dr) Department: Department of Animal and Plant Science Organisation: University of Sheffield Western Bank PO Box 601 S10 2TN Sheffield UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: SAMAL, Milan (Engineer) Department: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY Organisation: Czech Geological Survey 19 Geologicka 6 152 00 Praha CZECH REPUBLIC Contact Person: HENTSCHEL, Wolf-Peter (Mr) Department: LEHRSTUHL FUR PFLANZENOKOLOGIE Organisation: Universitat Bayreuth Universitatsstrasse 30 Postfach 10 12 51 95440 Bayreuth GERMANY Contact Person: SMAILES, Bob (Dr) Department: INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - IERM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Organisation: University of Edinburgh Darwin Building, King's Building, Mayfield Road EH9 3JG Edinburgh UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: GREEN, June (Mrs) Department: INSTITUTE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY Organisation: Natural Environment Research Council EDINBURGH RESEARCH STATION BUSH ESTATE EH26 0QB PENICUIK UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: KARLSSON, Ingrid (Dr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH - FACULTY OF FORESTRY Organisation: The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Ulls v.33 PO Box 7072 750 07 UPPSALA SWEDEN Contact Person: HORMUTH, Stefan (Professor) Department: DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY Organisation: Justus-Liebig-Universitaet - Giessen Stephanstr.24 35390 GIESSEN GERMANY Contact Person: FIALEYRE, Michel (Mr) Department: EQUIPE CYCLES BIOGEOCHIMIQUES CENTRE DE RECHERCHE DE NANCY Organisation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Foret d'Amance 54280 SEICHAMPS, CHAMPENOUX FRANCE Contact Person: BALDINI, Sanzio (Professor) Department: LABORATORY OF ECOPHYSIOLOGY AND SIVICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF FOREST RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT Organisation: Universita degli Studi della Tuscia Via S. Camillo de Lellis 01100 VITERBO ITALY Contact Person: ARENA, Umberto (Professor) Organisation: Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli viale Beneduce 81100 CASERTA ITALY Contact Person: ROEDLER, Edgar (Mr) Department: Institut für Pflanzenernährung INSTITUT FUR PFLANZENERNAHRUNG Organisation: Universitat Hohenheim Fruwirthstr.20 70593 STUTTGART GERMANY Contact Person: BERGER, Albert (Professor) Department: LEHRSTUHL BODENKUNDE Organisation: Technische Universitat Munchen Hohenbachernstra?e 85350 FREISING GERMANY Contact Person: BRUUN, Elisabeth (Mr) Department: INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Organisation: Kobenhavns Universitet 2A Oester Farimagsgade 2A 1353 KOEBENHAVN K/COPENHAEGEN DENMARK Contact Person: NILSSON, Jan (Dr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF FOREST ECOLOGY - FACULTY OF FORESTRY Organisation: The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 901 83 UMEAA SWEDEN Contact Person: KARLSSON, Ingrid (Dr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION ECOLOGY - FACULTY OF FORESTRY Organisation: The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 10 Vallvaegen 4 PO Box 7042 750 07 UPPSALA SWEDEN Contact Person: VEERMAN, Cees P (Professor) Department: NATURE CONSERVATION AND PLANT ECOLOGY GROUP DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Organisation: Wageningen University Bornsesteeg 69 6708 PD Wageningen NETHERLANDS


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