Publications by authors named "Patrick A Levasseur"
Increasing forest cover by regreening mining and smelting degraded landscapes provides an opportunity for global carbon (C) sequestration, however, the reported effects of regreening on soil C processes are mixed. One of the world's largest regreening programs is in the City of Greater Sudbury, Canada and has been ongoing since 1978. Prior to regreening, soils in the City of Greater Sudbury area were highly eroded, acidic, rich in metals, and poor in nutrients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeatlands are unique habitats that function as a carbon (C) sink and an archive of atmospheric metal deposition. Sphagnum mosses are key components of peatlands but can be adversely impacted by air pollution potentially affecting rates of C and metal accumulation in peat. In this study we evaluate how the loss of Sphagnum in peatlands close to a copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) smelter in Sudbury, Ontario affected C accumulation and metal profiles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Peatlands play a crucial role in global carbon and nitrogen cycles, holding 15 to 30% of the world's soil carbon stock, but their varying chemistry complicates global carbon inventories.
- A study analyzed 436 peat cores from 24 countries, finding significant differences in carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter content between different peatland categories, mainly influenced by pH levels.
- The results indicate predictable differences in carbon and organic matter concentrations across peatland types, which can help enhance future assessments of global peatland carbon and nitrogen stocks.