Center for Research on Enhancing C-Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems
Sponsor: DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research
Contacts: Vanessa Bailey
Our research indicates that the most invasive land management practices do not promote fungal biomass and thus, C storage potential is diminished.
(Photo: Tillage contrast in the Palouse, Washington. Higher levels of soil C are visible in the no-till, NT, plot as darker soil than that in the conventionally tilled, CT, plot)
The DOE consortium for research on enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems (CSiTE) performs basic research to provide the fundamental knowledge required for developing approaches leading to enhanced carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems as one component of a carbon management strategy. The goal of CSiTE is to discover and characterize links among critical pathways and mechanisms for creating larger, longer-lasting carbon pools in terrestrial ecosystems. Research is designed to establish the scientific basis for enhancing carbon capture and long-term terrestrial sequestration by developing (1) fundamental understanding of carbon sequestration mechanisms in terrestrial ecosystems across multiple scales from the molecular to the landscape levels, (2) conceptual and computational models for extrapolation of process understanding across spatial and temporal scales, (3) estimates of regional and national carbon sequestration potential, and (4) assessments of the environmental impacts and economic implications of approaches to enhance carbon sequestration. A key feature of CSiTE is shared access to multiple field sites representing important managed and unmanaged ecosystems. A task-oriented experimental and modeling approach during the first three years has established the basis for the evolution in 2003 to a research approach that is site-focused and integrated across spatial scales. CSiTE is a distributed research consortium that is integrated across several collaborating institutions. Robin Graham (ORNL) and F. Blaine Metting (PNNL) coordinate CSiTE. Chief scientists are Julie Jastrow (ANL), Cesar Izaurralde (PNNL), and Mac Post (ORNL).
Fungal activity was correlated with soil C. These results, and others, lead us to surmise that fungal activities may be of greater import to C sequestration than total microbial activity, bacterial activity, or even microbial diversity. Whether the increased fungal activity is a cause or result of C accumulation is the focus of ongoing research.