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ELS02 Plant and soil interaction in a changing climate |
| Co-convener: Claudio Zaccone |
Carbon transferring through roots of plants to the soil can play an important role in the ecosystem response to climate change. Soil organic carbon can be directly and indirectly affected by climate change through a number of possible mechanisms. For instance the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration can stimulate soil microbial activity because of the increased transfer of photosynthetic carbon to soil. In the long-term perspective climate change can affect the species composition of the terrestrial ecosystems and change the amount and quality of soil organic matter entering the soil that in turn affects the activity of soil communities and the soil C cycling can be affected. Future researches are needed to improve the understanding of these mechanisms and its consequences for carbon stoking potential of terrestrial ecosystems.