Soil as a Sink for Carbon
The sequestration of
carbon in Earth’s soil as a means to mitigate the carbon dioxide pollution in
the atmosphere.
Judith D. Schwartz - Yale Environment 360- 04 Mar 2014: Analysis
“Through photosynthesis, a plant draws carbon out
of the air to form carbon compounds. What the plant doesn’t need for growth is
exuded through the roots to feed soil organisms, whereby the carbon is
humified, or rendered stable. "
"Carbon is
the main component of soil organic matter and helps give soil its
water-retention capacity, its structure, and its fertility.”
“An important vehicle for moving carbon into soil
is root, or mycorrhizal,
fungi, which govern the give-and-take between plants
and soil. According to Australian soil scientist Christine Jones, plants with
mycorrhizal connections can transfer up to 15 percent more carbon to soil than
their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. The most common mycorrhizal fungi are
marked by threadlike filaments called hyphae that extend the reach of a plant,
increasing access to nutrients and water. These hyphae are coated with a sticky
substance called glomalin, discovered only in 1996, which is instrumental in
soil structure and carbon storage."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises
land managers to protect
glomalin by minimizing
tillage and chemical inputs and using
cover crops to keep living roots in the soil.”
bolstering soil microbiology by adding
beneficial microbes to stimulate the soil cycles where they have been
interrupted by use of insecticides, herbicides, or fertilizers
When we have erosion, we lose soil, which carries with it organic carbon, into waterways.
When soil is exposed, it oxidizes, essentially burning the soil carbon.
When we have erosion, we lose soil, which carries with it organic carbon, into waterways.
When soil is exposed, it oxidizes, essentially burning the soil carbon.
bringing carbon back into soils has to
be done not only to offset fossil fuels, but also to feed our growing global
population. "We cannot feed people if soil is degraded,"
The top priorities are restoring degraded and eroded lands, as well as avoiding deforestation and the farming of peatlands, which are a major reservoir of carbon and are easily decomposed upon drainage and cultivation.
Many scientists say that regenerative agricultural practices can turn back the carbon clock, reducing atmospheric CO2 while also boosting soil productivity and increasing resilience to floods and drought.
The top priorities are restoring degraded and eroded lands, as well as avoiding deforestation and the farming of peatlands, which are a major reservoir of carbon and are easily decomposed upon drainage and cultivation.
Many scientists say that regenerative agricultural practices can turn back the carbon clock, reducing atmospheric CO2 while also boosting soil productivity and increasing resilience to floods and drought.
Physical Science and
the state of matter in the universe
Soil Project Learning Goals
Soil composition, function and
vitality – Research and Analysis
· Soil ability to hold water
Soil ability to transfer water
Soil nutrients
Soil containing different amounts of air space
Soil density
Soil ability to transfer water
Soil nutrients
Soil containing different amounts of air space
Soil density
Soil
humas
Soil Project Objectives
1.
Describe the physical nature and composition
of soil
2.
Recognize that soils can vary in their
composition
3.
Describe where soil nutrients come from and
its chemistry
4.
Understand that soil is living and dynamic
5.
Recognize plants role in taking up nutrients
from soil
6.
Appreciate the carbon cycle and its influence
upon the vitality of soil
7.
Understand soil’s role in the sources-to-sink energy cycle in nature
Describe, recognize, understand and
appreciate: Project-based research learning goals
Soil Project information resource
link: