Land Multiply the Impact of Greenhouse Gases

Increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes the ground off a number of gas far more harmful to the environment. Nature was not as efficient as originally predicted to slow global warming.

Soil micro-organisms absorb carbon dioxide only to turn it into another greenhouse gas far more powerful. The changes are negated nearly 17 percent of the earth's ability to absorb heat-trapping emissions.

In a study published in the journal Nature last week, a team of scientists measured the methane (CH4) and dinitro oxide (N20) which removed the soil in forests, grasslands, peat, and farmland, including rice.

Although not as big as the amount of carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases trap the C02 has a power of about 30 and 400-fold.

"It reminds us that there are many dimensions of the soil as a carbon sink," said Bruce Hungate, study investigator and professor of ecosystem ecology at Northern Arizona University.

To obtain energy, soil microbes absorb carbon dioxide and release methane and dinitro oxide. When the concentration of atmospheric carbon is estimated to rise within the next few years, gas CH4 and N20 are dibasilkan will greatly accelerate the pace of warming.

Overall, methane and dinitro oxide released by methanogens and denitrifying microbes is canceled 16.6 percent of carbon stored in soils worldwide.

The study estimates that the high concentration of C02 environment in the next 50-100 years will stimulated N20 emissions increase up to 18.8 percent and methane emissions by 13.2 per cent of peat soils as compared with atmospheric C02 levels at this time. Methane emissions from rice fields also rose to 43.4 percent.*** [LIVESCIENCE | SCIENCEDAILY | KORAN TEMPO 3593]