Carbon from biomass burning

Anthropogenic Organic carbon from biomass burning (savannahs. 50 (10-110)... 

Tropical forests and savannas are the primary source of C emissions that originate from biomass burning (73, 75). However, temperate forests are also sources of atmospheric carbon. Harmon et al. (77) reported that conversion of primary temperate forests to younger, second-growth forests lead to increases in atmospheric CO2 levels, due to losses in long-term carbon storage within these forests. They ascertained that timber exploitation of 5 million hectares of primaiy forests in the Pacific Northwest of North America during the past century has resulted in the addition of 1,500 Tg of C to the atmosphere. 

Seiler, W. and Crutzen, P. J. (1980). Estimates of gross and net fluxes of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere from biomass burning. Climat. Change 2, 226-247. 

Plumes from biomass burning can also have unique signatures. For example, organics, ammonium, potassium, sodium, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, chloride, phosphate, elemental carbon, and the anions of organic acids (formate, acetate, oxalate, etc.) have all been measured in particles in the plumes from burning vegetation (e.g., see Cofer et al., 1988 Andreae et al., 1988 and Artaxo et al., 1994). 

Committed carbon emissions from biomass burning/decomposition +400 X 10 Mg C yr Result of calculation, to one significant figure +261 X 106 Mg C yr-1 Feamside (1997)... 

Chatfield R. B., Vastano J. A., Li L., Sachse G. W., and Conners V. S. (1998) The great African plume from biomass burning generalizations from a three-dimensional study of TRACE A carbon monoxide. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 28059- 28078. 

The annual rate of biomass destruction by fire is estimated from the area cleared or burned per year, the quantity of fuel consumed, and the production of CO per unit of fuel. Rather detailed estimates for the first two factors have been furnished by Seiler and Crutzen (1980). Their data are shown in Table 4-13. The total mass of carbon released annually from biomass burning... 

Greenberg, J. P., P. R. Zimmerman, L. Heidt, and W. Pollock (1984). Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions from biomass burning in Brazil. J. Geophys. Res. 89, 1350-1354. 

Emissions from biomass burning could disrupt the oxidizing potential of the atmosphere. The atmosphere has a self-cleaning mechanism, which photochemically oxidized pollutants, such as hydrocarbons, to carbon dioxide, preventing their buildup... 

Most of the gas phase Ci chemistry is elsewhere presented (Chapters 5.3.2.2 and 5.3.3 concerns organic and 2.8.3.2 concerns CO2 and earbonate dissolution). Two species from the heading above, methanol CH3OH and formic acid HCOOH we met as emissions from biomass burning (Table 2.44). Beeause C—O and O—H bonds are much stronger than the C—H bond, OH attaek goes preferable onto C—H (al higher carbon chains preferably at the aC—H) A 5.325 = 7.7 10" cm molecule" s and ks.326... 

Seidl, W. and G. Hanel (1983) Surface-active substances on rainwater and atmospheric particles. Pure and Applied Geophysics 121, 1077-1093 Seiler, W., and P. X Crutzen (1980) Estimates of gross and net fluxes of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere from biomass burning. Climatic Change 2, 207-247 Seiler, W., R. Conrad and D. Scharffe (1984) Eield studies of methane emission from termite nests into the atmosphere and measurements of methane uptake by tropical soils. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 1, 171-186... 

Seiler, W. Cmtzen, P.J., 1980 Estimates of Gross and Net Fluxes of Carbon Between the Biosphere and the Atmosphere from Biomass Burning , in Climatic Change, 2 207-247. 

The estimated value of anthropogenic black carbon was derived from a study by Penner et al. (33). Approximately 6 Tg yr results from diesel and eoal and 12 Tg yr derives from biomass burning. 

Concerns over atmospheric methane as a greenhouse gas and the large contribution of biomethanogenesis as a source of this gas make it important to determine the relative significance of various components of this activity. A recent paper (8) summarized estimates (28-30) of source fluxes of atmospheric methane based on several carbon isotopic studies and presented new data on natural sources and biomass burning. These data (Table III) show that of a total flux of 594 million tons (Tg) per year, 83% is produced via biomethanogenesis from a combination of natural (42%) and anthropogenic (41%) sources. 

When fuels are derived from biomass, the net increase in carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is usually considered to be neutral or even negative since the plants used to produce the alcohol fuel have reabsorbed the same or more carbon than is emitted from burning the fuel. The net effect may not be as favorable when the carbon dioxide emitted by equipment for the harvesting of the biomass feedstocks is considered in the balance. Much of this depends on the differences in equipment, farming techniques and other regional factors. 

Some component of the terrestrial POM must be extremely nonreactive to enable a higher burial efficiency as compared to autochthonous POM. A possible candidate for this nonreactive terrestrial POM is black carbon. This material is a carbon-rich residue produced by biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion. Some black carbon also appears to be derived from graphite weathered from rocks. It is widely distributed in marine sediments and possibly carried to the open ocean via aeolian transport. 

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