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SUMMARY:Representing microbial communities in Earth system models - Dr Ste
 ve Allison\, University of California
DTSTART:20140903T140000Z
DTEND:20140903T150000Z
UID:TALK53836@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Microsoft Research Cambridge Talks Admins
DESCRIPTION:Feedbacks between climate warming and carbon cycling on land a
 re a major source of uncertainty in future climate projections. Soils play
  a key role in this uncertainty\, and current biogeochemical models diverg
 e widely in their soil carbon projections. For example\, current models si
 mulate global carbon stocks of 510 to 3040 Pg C compared to observations o
 f 890 to 1660 Pg C. Going forward\, these models project changes in global
  soil carbon ranging from losses of 72 Pg C to gains of 253 Pg C over the 
 21st century. Importantly\, all of these model omit microbial processes. N
 ew models that account for microbial physiology and enzyme kinetics can ex
 plain up to half of the spatial variation in contemporary soil carbon stoc
 ks\, roughly double the variance explained by the best conventional models
 . Still\, these microbial models are relatively unproven. They project a w
 ide range of soil carbon responses to 21st century global change\, and the
 y are surprisingly insensitive to changes in carbon inputs. New analyses a
 re required to parameterize microbial models and scale up microbial physio
 logy. Small-scale models that account for microbial diversity and function
 al traits are promising tools for addressing this challenge.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Microsoft Research Ltd\, 21 Station Road\
 , Cambridge\, CB1 2FB
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