Historical land use change has lowered terrestrial silica mobilization
Struyf, E.; Smis, A.; Van Damme, S.; Garnier, J.; Govers, G.; Van Wesemael, B.; Conley, D.J.; Batelaan, O.; Frot, E.; Clymans, W.; Vandevenne, F.; Lancelot, C.; Goos, P.; Meire, P. (2010). Historical land use change has lowered terrestrial silica mobilization. Nature Comm. 1: AR129. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1128 In: Nature Communications. Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 2041-1723; e-ISSN 2041-1723, more |   |
| Keywords | Algal blooms
Carbon sinks
Land use
Salts > Inorganic compounds > Inorganic salts > Silicates
Marine/Coastal; Terrestrial |
| Authors | | Top | - Struyf, E., more
- Smis, A., more
- Van Damme, S., more
- Garnier, J., more
- Govers, G., more
| - Van Wesemael, B., more
- Conley, D.J.
- Batelaan, O., more
- Frot, E., more
- Clymans, W., more
| - Vandevenne, F., more
- Lancelot, C., more
- Goos, P.
- Meire, P., more
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| Abstract | Continental export of Si to the coastal zone is closely linked to the ocean carbon sink and to the dynamics of phytoplankton blooms in coastal ecosystems. Presently, however, the impact of human cultivation of the landscape on terrestrial Si fluxes remains unquantified and is not incorporated in models for terrestrial Si mobilization. In this paper, we show that land use is the most important controlling factor of Si mobilization in temperate European watersheds, with sustained cultivation (>250 years) of formerly forested areas leading to a twofold to threefold decrease in baseflow delivery of Si. This is a breakthrough in our understanding of the biogeochemical Si cycle: it shows that human cultivation of the landscape should be recognized as an important controlling factor of terrestrial Si fluxes. |
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