The Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report - Chapter 12. Soils
- Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Globally, soils contain more than three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and four and a half times more carbon than the world’s biota; therefore, even small changes in soil carbon stocks could lead to large changes in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2). Despite their importance, however, stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), which is the carbon component of soil organic matter (SOM), have been depleted through changes in land use and land cover and unsustainable land management practices associated with agriculture, grazing, and forest management. To better manage and sustain SOC stocks, a focused understanding of microbial and biogeochemical processes that interact in soils, regardless of land cover, to control soil carbon stabilization and destabilization is needed. Soil organic matter (the organic component of soil, consisting of organic residues at various stages of decomposition, soil organisms, and substances synthesized by soil organisms) also is considered a central indicator of soil health because it regulates multiple ecosystem services that humanity derives from soils, including moderation of climate. SOM stores nutrients, increases water-holding capacity to promote plant growth, limits leaching of nutrients, and adds structure that improves drainage and reduces erosion.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- OSTI ID:
- 1544936
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-TR-757064; 944714
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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