Rising Atmospheric CO2 Reduces Sequestration of Root-Derived Soil Carbon in Science 309 No. 5741 pp. 1711-1717, September 9, 2005

Washington DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2005. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS - Heath et al report on findings in Europe that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduced sequestration of root-derived carbon in the soil and raises concerns about what is happening in other forest ecosystems. Heath and his team document their findings that "forests have a key role as carbon sinks, which could potentially mitigate the continuing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and associated climate change" (Heath et al., 2005, 1171).

This issue bears the address label of Gary L. Bennett, an American scientist and engineer, specializing in aerospace and energy and whose "professional career has included work on the Voyager, Galileo, and Ulysses space missions" (Wikipedia).

"Forests have a key role as carbon sinks, which could potentially mitigate the continuing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and associated climate change. We show that carbon dioxide enrichment, although causing short-term growth stimulation in a range of European tree species, also leads to an increase in soil microbial respiration and a marked decline in sequestration of root-derived carbon in the soil. These findings indicate that, should similar processes operate in forest ecosystems, the size of the annual terrestrial carbon sink may be substantially reduced, resulting in a positive feedback on the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration" (ibid). CONDITION & DETAILS: Washington DC: The American Association for the Advancement of Science. 8vo. Original pictorial wrappers. The issue bears, as said, the address label (with some scribbling on it) of Gary L. Bennett. Bennett's work at the NASA, the DOE, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and at NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications) is well-detailed on Wikipedia. The interior is clean but there is fingering at the edges of the front wrap, a closed tear, and a small missing piece torn out. Good +.