PARENT SESSION
Symposium 24: Progressive Nitrogen Limitation of Plant and Ecosystem Response to Rising CO₂
Organized by: Y Luo
Friday, August 8. 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, SITCC Chatham Ballroom C.

Policy implications of carbon-nitrogen interactions.

Field, Christopher^*,1, ¹ Carnegie Institution, Stanford, California

ABSTRACT- Carbon-nitrogen interactions have important implications for several aspects of climate change and carbon management policy. Progress on at least four issues is critically dependent on ecological information. These are (1) the role of nitrogen in regulating future terrestrial carbon storage, (2) potential carbon storage from purposeful nitrogen fertilization, (3) climate forcing from methane and nitrous oxide resulting from purposeful nitrogen fertilization, and (4) prospects for quantifying effects of unintended fertilization with nitrogen and carbon dioxide in purposeful carbon management schemes. Some of the contributions of ecological information can take the form of improved quantities for modeling and accounting systems. Others should help structure policies to keep them consistent with a realistic assessment of the information ecological research can and cannot provide.

Key words: policy, global change, Kyoto