Carbon sequestration in soils

The Pharma Innovation, 2022

The efficiency of agricultural management-induced practises, which leads to adjusted biomass carbon (C) inputs to the soil and ultimately adjusted soil organic carbon content (SOC) in soil, has an impact on increasing biomass production and soil carbon content. Thus, under appropriate management approaches, the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) represent a healthy balance between carbon input and output. Carbon sequestration is the process by which plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in soilbased long-lived carbon pools. Therefore, carbon sequestration generally takes place when the input exceeds the output. SOC in soil can also grow by improving biomass production through management strategies such crop management, conservation farming, soil and nutrient management. Additionally, the breakdown of soil organic matter substantially differs with and without enough addition and/or the presence of organic matter (OM) in soil which relatively dominates the microbial community and activities. The greater OM decomposition by the microbial activities and the greater stabilize C production.

The Pharma Innovation Journal, 2021

In recent years, there has been a loss of soil carbon due to improper soil and crop management practices. Worldwide, about 1417 grams of soil carbon are stored in the first meter of soil, and about 456 grams are contained in dead organic matter and vegetation. The ability of soils to sequester CO2 is increased when they contain a high amount of organic matter. As an example of improper agronomic practices contributing to soil carbon loss in the form of CO2, improper tillage operations, crop rotations, residue management, fertilization, and similarly little or no use of organic fertilizers have all been responsible. About 25 to 30% of global GHG emissions from agriculture come from CO2, N2O, and CH4. Studies have shown that a combination of proper tillage operations, crop rotations leading to an improvement in soil organic matter, as well as organic amendments like FYM, compost and vermin-compost can significantly improve soil organic matter.

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 2010

Science (New York, N.Y.), 2004

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.

Agronomy for Sustainable Development

There is currently an intense debate about the potential for additional organic carbon storage in soil, the strategies by which it may be accomplished and what the actual benefits might be for agriculture and the climate. Controversy forms an essential part of the scientific process, but on the topic of soil carbon storage, it may confuse the agricultural community and the general public and may delay actions to fight climate change. In an attempt to shed light on this topic, the originality of this article lies in its intention to provide a balanced description of contradictory scientific opinions on soil carbon storage and to examine how the scientific community can support decision-making despite the controversy. In the first part, we review and attempt to reconcile conflicting views on the mechanisms controlling organic carbon dynamics in soil. We discuss the divergent opinions about chemical recalcitrance, the microbial or plant origin of persistent soil organic matter, the con...

2015

Soil carbon (C) in three Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) agroforestry systems, afforestation (Ginkgo alone; G), and an agricultural cropping system were compared over a five-year period. The agroforestry systems were Ginkgo + Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) + Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.; GWP); Ginkgo + Mulberry (Morus alba L.; GM); and Ginkgo + Rapa (Brassica napus L.) + Peanut (GRP). The agricultural system consisted of wheat and peanut (WP). Total soil carbon (TSC), soil organic (SOC) and inorganic carbon (SIC), and the pools of five SOC chemical fractions were measured. TSC and SOC were always lower under WP than the G-based planting systems, and TSC in the latter increased significantly across years in the top 20 cm. Stocks of SIC under WP were significantly greater than the G-based systems, whereas SOC fractions tended to be lower. Most fractions increased across years but not in WP.

International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

This comprehensive review explores the critical role of soil management practices in enhancing carbon sequestration, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Recognizing soil as a significant carbon sink capable of holding substantial carbon amounts, the review delves into the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the impact of various agricultural practices on carbon flux. Key topics include the fundamental processes of carbon sequestration in soil, the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM), and the factors influencing carbon sequestration such as climate, soil texture, land use, and management practices. It provides an in-depth analysis of soil management strategies like no-till farming, crop rotation, and the use of organic amendments (compost, biochar, and manure), highlighting their benefits in enhancing soil structure, fertility, and carbon storage capabilities. It also examines the role of cover cropping and agroforestry in promoting soil health and carbon seque...

2001

Increased long term (20-50 year) sequestration of carbon in soils, plants and plant products will benefit the environment and agriculture. Crop, grazing, and forestlands can be managed for both economic productivity and carbon sequestration. In many settings this dual management approach can be achieved by applying currently recognized best management practices such as conservation tillage, efficient nutrient management, erosion control, use of cover crops and restoration of degraded soils. In addition, conversion of marginal arable land to forest or grassland can rapidly increase soil carbon sequestration. Research is needed that better quantifies carbon sequestration obtained by these practices; this research should culminate in a scientifically defensible soil carbon sequestration accounting system that also would be suitable to the business sector, should soil carbon become a marketable commodity. Implementation of these practices will integrate a wide range of disciplines in th...

International Journal of Plant and Soil Science, 2023

Rapidly increasing levels of atmospheric CO 2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) initiate unprecedented changes in climate systems, leading to severe ecological and economic disruptions. Climate change mitigation is possible through a reduction in net GHG emission by the process of carbon sequestration. Storage of carbon in a stable solid form through direct and indirect fixation in soil leading to carbon sequestration can result in an annual growth rate of 0.4% in the soil carbon stock and significantly reduce CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere. The long term sequestration of carbon, viz, carbon stabilization is possible through both abiotic and biotic factors. This research paper aims to establish a literature review about the role of different agricultural management strategies for carbon sequestration and their stabilization mechanisms. Agricultural practices such as tillage, fallow elimination, erosion control and methane mitigation reduce carbon loss while crop

Organic carbon is the term used to describe the carbon found in soil organic matter. The amount of organic matter in soil is strongly correlated with the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC). SOC levels are influenced by a combination of elements that change on smaller geographic scales and the climate. High quantities of organic carbon play a beneficial function in sustaining soil health, increasing fertility, lowering erosion, and promoting soil biota, all of which support agricultural productivity. Hence, SOC is an essential element of productive agriculture.

Developing technologies to reduce the rate of increase of atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) from annual emissions of 8.6 Pg C yr-1 from energy, process industry, land-use conversion and soil cultivation is an important issue of the twenty-first century. The increase in atmospheric concentration of CO2 by 31% since 1750 from fossil fuel combustion and land use change necessitates identification of strategies for mitigating the threat of the attendant global warming. Since the industrial revolution, global emissions of carbon (C) are estimated at 270±30 Pg (Pg = petagram = 1015 g = 1 billion ton) due to fossil fuel combustion and 136±55 Pg due to land use change and soil cultivation. Emissions due to land use change include those by deforestation, biomass burning, conversion of natural to agricultural ecosystems, drainage of wetlands and soil cultivation. Depletion of soil organic C (SOC) pool have contributed 78±12 Pg of C to the atmosphere. Some cultivated soils have...

2018

Carbon sequestration (CS) is an important strategy for the mitigation of climate change (CC) as well as for improving the soil fertility of agricultural soils. Carbon sequestration in crop lands and rangelands requires a certain amount of organic matter (OM) presence in the soil called soil organic matter (SOM). Organic amendments like animal and poultry manures, the incorporation of different crop residues, different types of compost, sugarcane bagasse, peat soils, different wood chips, biochar and good agricultural practices like cover crops, nutrient management, mulching, zero and no-tillage techniques, soil biota management and mulching are effectively used for this purpose. These enhance the SOM and improve the soil's physical and chemical properties which help to sequester more C in soil which ultimately contributes towards CS and CC mitigation.

Environmental Development, 2015

2015

Land-use changes (LUC) are one of most significant global change processes of the current era, with noticeable consequences on habitat loss, due mainly to agricultural expansion and urbanization. The carbon cycle dynamics can be affected significantly by LUC, with impacts on carbon sequestration and emission rates. Considering the direct effect of carbon gases enrichment of the atmosphere on climate change, it is of utmost importance to improve the knowledge base on the impacts of agricultural-based LUC on carbon sinks, such as soils. This chapter reviews the available data on the effects of LUC on soil carbon stocks in three major biomes of the southern portion of the South American continent (the Cerrado, the Southern Grasslands and the Atlantic Forest). The area of soybean crops has expanded almost four times in the La Plata Basin Grasslands of Argentina over the past decade, and near ten times in the Brazilian Cerrado since the mid-1980s. The area under sugarcane crops in Brazil has almost doubled since the mid-1990s, occupying approximately 8.5 million ha (Mha) in 2009. In 2011, forestry plantations occupied 28% more land in Brazil than in 2005, with a total area of 6.5 Mha (75% with Eucalyptus and 25% with Pinus). In general, all conversions of natural vegetation to agricultural land-use systems in the different biomes have resulted in significant losses of soil carbon stocks. The conversion of pastures and grasslands to annual croplands in the Rolling Pampas grasslands has decreased C stocks by 50% over the last century. This represents a much faster loss rate than the loss triggered by the introduction of domestic herbivores over the course of the previous nearly four centuries (22%). These results imply that soil degradation caused by annual crops is very rapid and results in a strong decrease in carbon stocks. However, adopting soil and water conservation management strategies and increasing the complexity of the cropping systems-through adoption of no-tillage (NT) agriculture, well-managed pasture systems, integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems, multiple cropping and crop rotation with legume cover species, for example, can improve soil carbon sequestration rates by up to nearly 2.0 Mg C ha-1 year-1. The elimination of preharvest burning practices in sugarcane crops alone can result in gains of up to 0.93 t C year-1 ha-1. Improving soil and crop management to boost carbon sequestration in agricultural systems, while at the same time increasing resilience by improving soil quality, is a potential climate change mitigation option for farmers in South America.