Articles tagged with Soil Carbon
Researchers found that just three to six bacterial groups are responsible for the majority of carbon cycling in soils. These dominant species were able to efficiently consume and utilize both existing and added soil carbon and nutrients.
Historical carbon emissions from cultivated northern peatlands are estimated to be around 72 billion tons over 850-2010. The study reveals that only about half of the emitted carbon was compensated by natural peatland carbon absorption.
A major Swedish forest fire in 2014 led to a significant loss of carbon and nutrients in the affected areas. Water quality in watercourses quickly returned to normal, while forested areas continued to lose carbon for many years after the fire.
A study by Cornell University found that most US adults support soil carbon storage as a climate solution, particularly when framed as a natural approach. The strategy received highest support from Democrats and those who perceive it as 'natural'.
A University of Michigan climate scientist and his colleague argue that planting trees won't curb climate change due to its inevitable effects on vegetation. Keeping existing forests healthy is key, while proactive forest management can help mitigate the crisis.
Carbon farming is gaining traction as a method to sequester carbon emissions and replenish soil nutrients, benefiting farmers and the environment. Companies are providing incentives for sustainable practices like low-till farming and planting cover crops.
Research from San Diego State University models show that high microbial fluctuations in soil lead to higher carbon emissions. By reducing fluctuation, land stewards can lower emissions and sustain soil fertility.
Boreal forests can store nearly five times more soil carbon after severe wildfires through shifts to deciduous tree species like aspen and birch. This can provide a negative feedback to climate warming.
Tropical forest soils capture carbon dioxide into organic matter interacting with soil minerals, leading to reduced CO2 emissions. Excessive nitrogen deposition stimulates soil carbon storage by 7-21% in tropical forests.
Researchers found that excess nitrogen deposition increases soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations in tropical forests, accelerating acidification and physical protection. However, this sink cannot offset human-induced carbon emissions, highlighting the need for sustainable land management practices.
A new study finds that restoring Louisiana's coastal marshes can store significant amounts of carbon in the soil, potentially altering the global carbon budget. The study examined 24 sites across four marsh habitats and found that protecting these areas is vital to preserving carbon stored in the soils.
The collection explores gaps in understanding microplastics' effects on ecosystems, human health, and carbon cycling. Experts call for open collaboration to develop policies and regulations for emerging contaminants.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen refute the claim that old-growth forests play a significant role in climate mitigation due to incorrectly analyzed data. However, they emphasize the importance of old-growth forest for biodiversity. The study found that the carbon storage capacity of unmanaged forests is highly overestimated.
New research found that elevated CO2 levels drive increased plant growth, but take a toll on soil's ability to absorb carbon. Soils only accumulated more carbon in experiments where plant growth remained steady.
A new study by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found that the biospheric carbon turnover within river basins is vulnerable to future temperature and precipitation perturbations from a changing climate. This suggests that soil organic carbon sensitivity to climate change may be more widespread than previously assumed.
Researchers at the University of Illinois developed a model to accurately calculate GPP in bioenergy crops using satellite data. The SLOPE GPP product explains 85% of spatial and temporal variations in GPP, overcoming previous inefficiencies in image-based, time-based, and latency precision.
Researchers found that shrubs impact tundra soil microclimate, reducing moisture, temperature, and organic carbon stocks. This affects the global carbon cycle, as Arctic soils store significant amounts of belowground organic carbon.
Soil organic carbon turnover is linked to temperature and precipitation patterns, suggesting that monitoring riverine carbon can track climate change impacts; this study provides new insights into the relationships between climate, soil carbon, and global carbon cycles.
The US Department of Agriculture has underestimated the true magnitude of farmland erosion in the Corn Belt, which has lost nearly 30 million acres of its carbon-rich topsoil. Researchers used remote sensing to quantify the previously underestimated erosion, highlighting the need for tillage erosion inclusion in soil loss models.
Researchers discovered that Arctic permafrost releases even larger quantities of CO2 than once believed, with microorganisms converting organic matter into greenhouse gases. The study found that the mineral iron no longer binds carbon as previously thought, resulting in a significant increase in CO2 emissions.
Researchers found that forests dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi trees release more nitrogen gases than those associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, negatively impacting air quality. Meanwhile, AM-associating tree roots enhance soil carbon storage by releasing protected carbon, highlighting the complexity of forest ecosystems.
Researchers discovered that certain soil bacteria can break down large carbon-based molecules using enzymes, potentially leading to rapid release of CO2 from soil. This finding challenges current models of carbon storage in soil and highlights a key role for biology in climate change.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have launched a comprehensive resource on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and policies to mitigate climate change. The CDR Primer provides an overview of various techniques, including sequestering carbon in soil through improved agricultural practices.
Christian A. Davies, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2021 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award in Technology Innovation from TAMEST for his development of alternative carbon management technologies that reduce emissions. His work focuses on combining DNA sequencing techniques with net carbon flux to analyze microbes in soil.
Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute synthesize patterns of tropical forest productivity and carbon storage, finding that warm, wet forests with moderately fertile soils store more carbon. The study's findings reveal consistent relationships across regions, influenced by climate and soil conditions.
A new study reveals the physical and chemical interactions that sequester carbon in soil, showing layers of carbon around organic interfaces and a crucial role for nitrogen. This breakthrough technique may help develop strategies for sequestering more carbon in soil, mitigating climate change.
Studies in Cameroon, Indonesia, and Peru found that forest conversion to agriculture and degradation slows carbon and nitrogen cycles, affecting greenhouse gas flows. Methane removals decreased by up to 47% and nitrous oxide emissions dropped by 52%, but results are equivocal for peatland degradation.
A University of Oklahoma-led study found that lower nitrogen levels in soil stimulate the release of carbon dioxide from soils under high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, contributing to climate change. Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in this process.
Researchers discovered that elevated CO2 levels stimulate soil respiration under conditions of nitrogen limitation. Elevated CO2 has a deteriorating effect on climate change mitigation in soils deficient in nitrogen.
Research team finds that bacteria can use iron as a food source, releasing bound organic carbon into the water in thawing permafrost. This accelerates greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Researchers at Northwestern University found that bacteria in low-iron environments reroute their metabolic pathways to favor producing iron-scavenging compounds. This study provides insights into the impact of iron on carbon cycling in bacterial cells, with implications for ecosystem health and environmental biotechnology.
Research shows that restoring degraded grasslands in tropical semi-arid regions can replenish soil organic carbon, restore herbaceous biomass, and improve plant biodiversity. This effort can also help regulate water flows, provide fodder for livestock, and support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.
A collaborative study led by researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno, found that meadows throughout the region are both gaining and losing carbon at high rates. Meadows with wetland plant communities and dense root mats were large net carbon sinks during the year measured.
A RUDN University study found that deforestation leads to massive transformations in soil bacterial communities, with some plantations showing higher diversity than forests. The key factors are soil acidity and resource availability.
Researchers found that forest expansion into savannas has continued amid increasing moisture levels, but with recent deforestation impacting the trend. The study suggests conserving the Amazon-Cerrado transition may help mitigate climate change impacts.
New research suggests that a 2°C warming would release 230 billion tonnes of carbon from the world's soil, more than four times China's total emissions over 100 years. This 'positive feedback' effect contributes to further climate change.
Researchers from the University of Bonn and around the world propose a strategy to use soils to bind large quantities of carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a third. By increasing plant growth and crop yields through simple measures like mulching and fertilizing, farmers can effectively sequester carbon in the soil.
A RUDN University scientist discovered that adding organic fertilizers can help retain carbon in rice paddies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study found that soils with different types of fertilizers retained an average of 69% more carbon after fertilization, suggesting a potential solution to mitigate climate change.
A large retrospective study suggests that the amount of carbon stored in soils is the biggest predictor of how much carbon will combust during a fire. The study found that soil moisture was also significant in predicting carbon release, and that vegetation patterns were complex and interacted with each other to predict combustion amounts.
The study found that urbanization leads to decreased soil acidity and increased carbon concentrations, with tree trunks shrinking by 40-60% in crowded areas. The school covered five climatic zones, combining teaching and research, fieldwork and expert consultations.
A OU-led study integrates omics data into ecosystem models to better predict soil carbon loss due to warming-induced adaptation in microbial communities. The findings suggest a more nuanced understanding of the ecological consequences of climate warming.
A new method for analyzing soil organic matter can help scientists predict how soils store carbon and how this affects climate change. The study analyzed data from over 40 soils across North America, revealing patterns in chemistry that hold true across climates.
A Rutgers-led team of scientists recommends combining two cutting-edge tools to help understand climate change.
A study published in Soil Biology and Biochemistry found that high soil moisture content can lead to increased carbon dioxide emissions due to accelerated mineralization processes. Protecting meadowlands from bogging may help reduce CO2 emissions and slow down global warming.
A study by University of Göttingen researchers reveals that reforestation can only partially restore degraded tropical soil properties. The team analyzed data from 130 studies and found that soil degradation persists even decades after deforestation, with deeper soil layers losing significant amounts of carbon.
The University of Illinois has been awarded $4.5 million to develop a commercial solution called SYMFONI, which enables accurate and rapid field-level quantification of carbon intensity at a regional scale. This technology will facilitate the adoption of new technologies to increase feedstock productivity and reduce carbon footprint in...
A study published in Geoderma journal reveals that iron minerals and bacteria are main agents of carbon dioxide emissions from soil. Iron facilitates formation of active oxygen forms that destroy plant waste and promote CO2 emissions.
Researchers found that char can rapidly restore soil carbon and sulfate concentrations, but did not affect physical properties or crop yields. The study suggests char as a potential strategy to enhance soil properties and crop yields in low-carbon soils.
Soil enzymes play a crucial role in chemical reactions, cellular metabolism, and organic matter decomposition. Heavy metals like lead and cadmium reduce enzyme activity by 3-3.5 times, particularly affecting carbon and sulfur cycles.
Researchers at Penn State have discovered that cover crop roots play a crucial role in increasing soil organic carbon levels and promoting biodiversity. The study found that diverse mixtures of cover crops resulted in increased root biomass and improved soil carbon inputs.
Researchers found that tropical forest soils are highly sensitive to climate change, with a potential increase of 55% in soil carbon emissions if temperatures rise by four degrees Celsius. This could trigger further global warming and lead to the release of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The first commercially available intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) cultivar has been released, providing a sustainable crop option for agriculture. MN-Clearwater produces high grain yields of 696 kg ha-1, with minimal lodging and disease levels, making it suitable for the US Upper Midwest, southern Canada, and Northeast regions.
Researchers found that diverse microbial communities can improve soil's ability to sequester carbon, but drought stress neutralizes this effect. They discovered a limit to the stress resilience of high-diversity systems.
Scientists propose new soil carbon-persistence models to effectively draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide. The models focus on the interplay between time and space in soil carbon's changing molecular structure.
Researchers used seismic waves to study chemical reactions deep below ground, revealing changes in porosity and saturation of rocks. The findings have implications for understanding water quality and protecting valuable groundwater resources.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Guam found that cycad plants share nitrogen and carbon through the soil, creating habitable environments for other organisms.
A new study has provided the first global 'bottom-up' terrestrial carbon budget, estimating a net sink of -2.2 ± 0.6 Pg C y-1 between 2000 and 2009. The study reveals that a significant portion of carbon fixed in terrestrial ecosystems is lost through fires, emissions, and export to rivers, rather than being retained in the soil.
Researchers use cameras, drones, geolocators, and sensors to track wildlife and greenhouse gas emissions. Computing advances help analyze terabytes of data, enabling ecologists to scale up ecological research and address environmental challenges.
A recent study found that tree planting on heather moorland in Scotland did not increase carbon storage, but instead led to a decline in soil organic carbon stocks. The research suggests that planting trees may not be an effective strategy for mitigating climate change in certain areas.
Fine roots in peatlands respond rapidly to warming, increasing plant nutrient and water uptake. Soils drying likely drive this increase in fine-root growth, potentially accelerating ecosystem carbon cycling.