Both land and oceans have equal carbon fluxes with the atmosphere. These fluxes both slow the accumulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases which increase radiative forcing and alter the climate of Earth adversely affecting life on the planet. The major source of carbon flux on land are forests which cover about 30% of the land surface, but contain 90% of the biomass comprised in large part by cellulose and lignin, the two most abundant organic compounds on Earth. Forest land is where a never-ending cycle of biosynthesis and biodecomposition takes place and the balance of these forces determines losses and gains of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Disruption of the biogeochemical cycling of calcium has occurred in forests exposed to acid deposition by emission of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. How this disruption alters the biosynthesis of lignified cellulose and water use efficiency of forest trees will be considered.

Disruption of forest-atmosphere interactions related to changing atmospheric chemistry

247th National Meeting (2014)

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