POPFACE
A European Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment experiment on Poplar plantations
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POPFACE A European Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment experiment on Poplar plantations |
Department of Soil Science and Geology Group 05
Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU)
PO Box 37 6700AA Wageningen (The Netherlands)
Tel: +31-317-482458 Fax: +31-317-482419
Main contributions
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to study carbon sequestration by soil and soil respiration |
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to quantify litter production and decomposition |
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to determine the efficiency of nitrogen utilization for biomass production |
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to assess C/N ratio in the different biomass components |
Research Group
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Scientist |
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Scientist |
Qualification
The soils department at the WAU, together with those from neighbouring Research Institutes in Wageningen, forms one of the largest concentrations of soil expertise in the world. The Department of Soil Science and Geology has more than 15 years experience in studying the effects of changing environmental conditions on the chemistry of soil, soil solution, groundwater and sediments. The major focus of this research has been studying the effects of atmospheric deposition, sulphur and nitrogen on soils and, to a much lesser extent, on fresh water ecosystems (NITREX and EXMAN projects). An important ongoing activity of the research group of Prof. Dr. Nico van Breemen is the impacts of climate change (in particular elevated temperature and CO2) on cycling and sequestration of C in terrestrial ecosystems (CLIMEX and BERI projects). Research on effects of land use change on greenhouse gas emissions is carried out mainly in the tropics: studies on effects of deforestation on C and N cycling in Costa Rica, and studies on effects of agricultural management on emission of methane from rice fields in the Phillipines, China and Indonesia. The common approach of these studies is to apply a combination of monitoring of biogeochemical processes (usually in ecosystems manipulated in various ways, often after addition of stable isotopes), with modelling.
Experience of staff involved
Prof. Nico van Breemen will supervise the work at WAU. He has over 25 years of experience in soil process research, both in the tropics (Asia and Central America), in Europe and the USA. Since 1980 he has initiated and guided a large number of projects on relationships between soils and large-scale environmental problems, such as acidification and climate change.
The work will be carried out by Dr. Douwe van Dam, who has more than 10 years experience in experimental research and modelling of carbon and nitrogen cycling (including isotopes) in terrestrial ecosystems.
Recent publications
Van Breemen N. (1995). Nutrient cycling strategies. Plant and Soil 168/169: 321-326.
Van Dam D. & Van Breemen N. (1995). NICCCE: a model for cycling of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in coniferous ecosystems. Ecological Modelling 79: 255-275.
Tietema A. & van Dam D. (1996). Calculating microbial carbon and nitrogen transformations in acid forest litter with 15N enrichment and dynamic simulation modelling. Soil Biol. & Biochem. 28: 953-965
Van Dam D. Veldkamp E. & Van Breemen N. ( ). Soil organic carbon dynamics: variability with depth in forested and deforested soils under pasture in Costa Rica. Submitted for publication to Biogeochemistry.
Finzi A.C., van Breemen N. & Canham C.D. ( ). Canopy tree-soil interactions within temperate forests: species effects on carbon and nitrogen. Submitted for publication to Ecological Applications.
