myResearchSpace

Musings on: Gabet EJ, Mudd SM (2009). A theoretical model coupling chemical weathering rates with denudation rates. Geology, 37: 151-154. Many discussions of the long-term carbon cycle quite rightly highlight the importance of weathering of silicate rocks in consuming atmospheric CO2, and therefore modifying carbon cycling at the Earth's surface. ...

The next meeting (already notified by Talitha) is on Tuesday 7 July, 1pm, second-floor lunch area, Soil Science building, UWA. The article to be mused upon is :Piao S, Fang J, Ciais P, Peylin P, Huang Y, Sitch S, Wang T. 2009. Carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems in China. Nature, 458:1009-1014.

Musings on:Stewart CE, Paustian K, Conant RT, Plant AF, Six A. 2007. Soil carbon saturation: concept, evidence and evaluation. Biogeochemistry 86:19-31. On first glance I thought that this was too obvious to be significant - if carbon input fluxes (e.g. litter fall) are increased (in a single step), then of course soil carbon will increase, but ...

This one's from 21 May 2007: Davidson EA, Janssens IA (2006) Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change. Nature, 440:165-173. A useful article on the face of it, especially in light of Article 3.4 of Kyoto which allows for carbon credits on the basis of increased soil carbon storage. It provides a ...

Article for 23 April 2007:Kelleher BP, Simpson AJ, 2006. Humic substances in soils: are they really chemically distinct? Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 4605-4611. For a long time it has been assumed that the humic substances are a distinct class of organic materials in soils and other natural systems, many workers believing them to be poorly ordered ...

Article for 26 March 2007:  Meir P, Cox P, Grace J. 2006.The influence of terrestrial ecosystems on climate. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21:254-260. This is a review article that promised a stimulating discussion of the global function of soils and their response to one of the most significant (or at least newsworthy) ...

Article for 7 May 2007: Kennedy M, Droser M, Mayer LM, Pevear D, Mrofka D. 2006. Late Precambrian oxygenation: inception of the clay mineral factory. Science 311, 1446-1449. Quote: ''...the advent of soils sufficiently biotic for clay formation likely predated complex terrestrial ecosystems.''  Many articles emphasise the ...

The UWA club barista was happy to sell coffee to non-members on the promise that a card-carrying one would soon arrive, and so our first meeting began. After the inevitable housekeeping issues were covered, we were discussing:Marris, E. 2006. Putting the carbon back: Black is the new green. Nature 442:624-626 (with supporting information from ...