THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE: A TEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF EARTH AS A SYSTEM

Reference
Falkowski, P., R. J. Scholes, E. Boyle, J. Canadell, D. Canfield, J. Elser, , N. Gruber, K. Hibbard,
P. Hoegberg, S. Linder, F.T. Mackenzie, B. Moore III, T. Pedersen, Y. Rosenthal, S. Seitzinger,
V. Smetacek and W. Steffen. The global carbon cycle: A test of our knowledge of earth as a system.
Science, 290, 291-296, 2000.

Abstract

Over the past 200 years, human activities have altered the global carbon cycle significantly.
Understanding the consequences of these activities in the coming decades is critical for
formulating economic, energy, technology, trade, and security policies that will affect
civilization for generations. Given present trends in energy demands, ample fossil fuel reserves,
a lack of global, concerted, alternative energy production strategies, and projections of human
population growth, atmospheric CO2 concentrations appear fated to increase throughout the
coming century . The rate of change in atmospheric CO2 depends, however, not only on human
activities, but also on biogeochemical and climatological processes and their interactions with the
carbon cycle. Here we examine some of the changes in biogeochemical and climatological processes
concomitant with alterations in the carbon and nutrient cycles in the contemporary world, and compare
these processes with our understanding of the preceding 420,000 years of Earth's history.

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