Managing Soil Biology to Build Soil Organic Carbon and Healthier Soils
The largest global losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) due to human land use have occurred on cropped Mollisols. While this is an "inconvenient truth”, it also means an opportunity: if we can recoup this SOC loss, the potential for C sequestration is enormous. Although agroecosystem management aimed at SOC sequestration has been touted as a deployable strategy for improving ecosystem services and mitigating climate change, the expectations of SOC accrual under best management practices are contradicted by results of some studies. So, what can we do to actually increase SOC stocks?
Yichao Rui, Ph.D.,
Department of Soil Science,
University of Wisconsin – Madison