Objective "Quantifying the carbon storage potential of terrestrial ecosystems and its sensitivity to climate change relies on our ability to obtain observational constraints on photosynthesis and respiration at large scales. Photosynthesis (GPP), the largest CO2 flux from the land surface, is currently estimated with considerable uncertainty. A recent estimate of global GPP was based on an atmospheric budget of the oxygen isotope composition (d18O) of atmospheric CO2 that strongly relies on the oxygen isotope exchange rates with leaf and soil water pools. This isotopic exchange is rapidly catalysed by carbonic anhydrase (CA) in leaves and to a lesser extent in soils. Soil CA activity was neglected in global CO18O studies until the project PI showed recently that CA activity in soils played an important role for determining the magnitude of global GPP using CO18O. The overall goal of SOLCA is to understand better the environmental and ecological causes behind the variability in CA activity observed in soils. A first hypothesis is that soil CA activity responds to thermal and osmotic stresses. This will be tested by probing CA activity of soil monoliths from around the world using a non-invasive gas exchange technique developed by the PI. Because probing soil CA activity from CO18O gas exchange data requires a knowledge of the d18O of soil water and CO2 diffusion processes, we will utilise additional tracers of CA activity: CO17O and carbonyl sulphide (COS) that will also be measured as they follow the same diffusional pathway as CO2 and are also taken up by CA. A second hypothesis is that soil CA activity can be predicted knowing only global indices of the soil microbial community. This will be tested using state-of-the-art molecular techniques to explain changes in CA activity levels. This project will construct novel algorithms for using additional tracers of the global CO2 budget and will lead to a revised estimate of terrestrial GPP." Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbotany Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE10 - ERC Starting Grant - Earth system science Call for proposal ERC-2013-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT EU contribution € 1 701 882,00 Address 147 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITE 75007 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Lisa Wingate (Dr.) Administrative Contact Fabienne Schneider (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT France EU contribution € 1 701 882,00 Address 147 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITE 75007 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Lisa Wingate (Dr.) Administrative Contact Fabienne Schneider (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data