Soil Carbon Sequestration in the Age of Climate Change: A Review
M. Murali *
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
M. Gayathri
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Vikash Singh
ICAR – Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Sumit Raj
Department of Soil Conservation and Water Management, CSAUA&T, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Veerendra Singh
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Chandrakant Chaubey
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, SVPUAT, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Fatima Inamdar
Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology, Pune, Maharashtra 411060, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Soil carbon sequestration has garnered attention as a pivotal strategy in mitigating climate change. Its relevance is accentuated by the soil's dual role in both storing carbon and supporting agriculture, thereby contributing to both environmental and food security. The purpose of this review is to analyze the various facets of soil carbon sequestration in the Indian context, specifically focusing on case studies that highlight both successes and failures in this realm. Key findings indicate that multifaceted approaches, such as agroforestry models in Tamil Nadu and community-led natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, have been effective in enhancing soil carbon stocks. These approaches are not only beneficial for carbon sequestration but also demonstrate positive implications for farm yield and biodiversity. However, the study also uncovers shortcomings in soil management practices, evident in the decline of soil carbon levels in regions such as Punjab due to monoculture and excessive fertilizer use. The consequences of such practices manifest in reduced soil fertility, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable agricultural methods. In fragile ecosystems like the Himalayan region, soil erosion has further reduced the soil's ability to act as a carbon sink, indicating the necessity for immediate conservation efforts. These findings imply that an integrated approach, coupling agricultural innovation with policy support, can substantially improve the effectiveness of soil as a carbon sequester. Moreover, it is essential for policies to be adaptive and region-specific, accounting for the diverse geographical and climatic conditions across India. This review aims to serve as a comprehensive guide for policymakers, researchers, and agricultural practitioners, emphasizing that soil carbon sequestration is not an isolated goal but must be integrated into broader environmental and agricultural objectives.
Keywords: Agroforestry, monoculture, sequestration, sustainability
How to Cite
Downloads
References
Winn M, Kirchgeorg M, Griffiths A, Linnenluecke MK, Günther E. Impacts from climate change on organizations: a conceptual foundation. Business strategy and the environment. 2011; 20(3):157-173.
Driga AM, Drigas AS. Climate Change 101: How Everyday Activities Contribute to the Ever-Growing Issue. Int. J. Recent Contributions Eng. Sci. IT. 2019;7(1):22-31.
Hoegh-Guldberg O, Jacob D, Taylor M, Guillén Bolaños T, Bindi M, Brown S, Zhou G. The human imperative of stabilizing global climate change at 1.5 C. Science. 2019;365(6459): eaaw6974.
Naumann S, Anzaldua G, Berry P, Burch S, Davis M, Frelih-Larsen A, Sanders M. Assessment of the potential of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation in Europe. Final report to the European Commission, DG Environment; 2011.
Lehmann J, Hansel CM, Kaiser C, Kleber M, Maher K, Manzoni S, Kögel-Knabner I. Persistence of soil organic carbon caused by functional complexity. Nature Geoscience. 2020;13(8):529-534.
Patil P, Kumar AK. Biological carbon sequestration through fruit crops (perennial crops-natural “sponges” for absorbing carbon dioxide from atmosphere). Plant Archives, 1. 2017;7(2):1041-1046.
Debrah C, Chan APC, Darko A. Green finance gap in green buildings: A scoping review and future research needs. Building and Environment. 2022;207:108443.
McNeill JR, Winiwarter V. Breaking the sod: Humankind, history, and soil. Science. 2004; 304(5677):1627-1629.
Kögel-Knabner I. The macromolecular organic composition of plant and microbial residues as inputs to soil organic matter: fourteen years on. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2017;105:A3-A8.
Davidson EA. Is the transactional carbon credit tail wagging the virtuous soil organic matter dog?. Biogeochemistry. 2022; 161(1):1-8.
Nobre CA, Sampaio G, Borma LS, Castilla-Rubio JC, Silva JS, Cardoso M. Land-use and climate change risks in the Amazon and the need of a novel sustainable development paradigm. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2016;113(39):10759-10768.
National Research Council. Challenges and opportunities in the hydrologic sciences; 2012.
Braun P, Gingras AC. History of protein–protein interactions: From egg‐white to complex networks. Proteomics. 2012; 12(10):1478-1498.
Schmidt MW, Torn MS, Abiven S, Dittmar T, Guggenberger G, Janssens IA, Trumbore SE. Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property. Nature. 2011;478(7367):49-56.
Yoro KO, Daramola MO. CO2 emission sources, greenhouse gases, and the global warming effect. In Advances in carbon capture Woodhead Publishing. 2020;3-28.
Verschuuren J. Towards an EU regulatory framework for climate-smart agriculture: the example of soil carbon sequestration. Transnational Environmental Law. 2018; 7(2):301-322.
Roberts HC, Denison HJ, Martin HJ, Patel HP, Syddall H, Cooper C, Sayer AA. A review of the measurement of grip strength in clinical and epidemiological studies: towards a standardised approach. Age and ageing. 2011;40(4):423-429.
The publication of meta-analyses and review papers that synthesized decades of research represented another milestone, offering an overarching view of the field and pointing out directions for future research
Pratapa A, Doron M, Caicedo JC. Image-based cell phenotyping with deep learning. Current opinion in chemical biology. 2021;65:9-17.
Lehmann J, Bossio DA, Kögel-Knabner I, Rillig MC. The concept and future prospects of soil health. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. 2020;1(10):544-553.
Nogia P, Sidhu GK, Mehrotra R, Mehrotra S. Capturing atmospheric carbon: biological and nonbiological methods. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies. 2016;11(2):266-274.
Kumar R, Pandey S, Pandey A. Plant roots and carbon sequestration. Current Science. 2006; 885-890.
Khatoon H, Solanki P, Narayan M, Tewari L, Rai J, Hina Khatoon C. Role of microbes in organic carbon decomposition and maintenance of soil ecosystem. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 2017;5(6):1648-1656.
Schmidt MW, Torn MS, Abiven S, Dittmar T, Guggenberger G, Janssens IA, Trumbore SE. Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property. Nature. 2011;478(7367):49-56.
Emmett BD, Lévesque-Tremblay V, Harrison MJ. Conserved and reproducible bacterial communities associate with extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The ISME journal. 2021;15(8):2276-2288.
Yudina A, Kuzyakov Y. Dual nature of soil structure: The unity of aggregates and pores. Geoderma. 2023;434:116478.
Agnihotri R, Sharma MP, Prakash A, Ramesh A, Bhattacharjya S, Patra AK, Kuzyakov Y. Glycoproteins of arbuscular mycorrhiza for soil carbon sequestration: Review of mechanisms and controls. Science of the Total Environment. 2022;806:150571.
Barbosa MV, Pedroso DDF, Curi N, Carneiro MAC. Do different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affect the formation and stability of soil aggregates?. Ciência e Agrotecnologia. 2019;43.
Boyd SA, Mortland MM. Enzyme interactions with clays and clay-organic matter complexes. In Soil biochemistry Routledge. 2017;1-28.
Said-Pullicino D, Erriquens FG, Gigliotti G. Changes in the chemical characteristics of water-extractable organic matter during composting and their influence on compost stability and maturity. Bioresource Technology. 2007;98(9):1822-1831.
Rodrigues CID, Brito LM, Nunes LJ. Soil carbon sequestration in the context of climate change mitigation: A review. Soil Systems. 2023;7(3):64.
McSherry ME, Ritchie ME. Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: a global review. Global change biology. 2013; 19(5):1347-1357.
Cotrufo MF, Lavallee JM. Soil organic matter formation, persistence, and functioning: A synthesis of current understanding to inform its conservation and regeneration. Advances in agronomy. 2022;172:1-66.
Jamloki A, Bhattacharyya M, Nautiyal MC, Patni B. Elucidating the relevance of high temperature and elevated CO2 in plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) production. Heliyon. 2021;7(8).
O'Riordan R, Davies J, Stevens C, Quinton JN, Boyko C. The ecosystem services of urban soils: A review. Geoderma. 2021; 395:115076.
Nanda S, Reddy SN, Mitra SK, Kozinski JA. The progressive routes for carbon capture and sequestration. Energy Science & Engineering. 2016;4(2):99-122.
Bhattacharyya SS, Ros GH, Furtak K, Iqbal HM, Parra-Saldívar R. Soil carbon sequestration–An interplay between soil microbial community and soil organic matter dynamics. Science of The Total Environment. 2022;815:152928.
Cania B, Vestergaard G, Krauss M, Fliessbach A, Schloter M, Schulz S. A long-term field experiment demonstrates the influence of tillage on the bacterial potential to produce soil structure-stabilizing agents such as exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides. Environmental Microbiome. 2019;14(1):1-14.
Siedt M, Schäffer A, Smith KE, Nabel M, Roß-Nickoll M, van Dongen JT. Comparing straw, compost, and biochar regarding their suitability as agricultural soil amendments to affect soil structure, nutrient leaching, microbial communities, and the fate of pesticides. Science of the Total Environment. 2021;751:141607.
Booker K, Huntsinger L, Bartolome JW, Sayre NF, Stewart W. What can ecological science tell us about opportunities for carbon sequestration on arid rangelands in the United States?. Global Environmental Change. 2013;23(1):240-251.
Booker K, Huntsinger L, Bartolome JW, Sayre NF, Stewart W. What can ecological science tell us about opportunities for carbon sequestration on rangelands in the United States?. Global Environmental Change. 2013;23(1):240-251.
Berns AE, Philipp H, Narres HD, Burauel P, Vereecken H, Tappe W. Effect of gamma‐sterilization and autoclaving on soil organic matter structure as studied by solid state NMR, UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. European Journal of Soil Science. 2008;59(3):540-550.
Wang X, Wang J, Zhang J. Comparisons of three methods for organic and inorganic carbon in calcareous soils of northwestern China; 2012.
Webster CR, Mahaffy PR. Determining the local abundance of Martian methane and its’ 13C/12C and D/H isotopic ratios for comparison with related gas and soil analysis on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Planetary and Space Science. 2011;59(2-3):271-283.
Lohman BK, Weber JN, Bolnick DI. Evaluation of TagSeq, a reliable low‐cost alternative for RNA seq. Molecular ecology resources. 2016;16(6):1315-1321.
Laudon H, Hasselquist EM, Peichl M, Lindgren K, Sponseller R, Lidman F, Ågren AM. Northern landscapes in transition: Evidence, approach and ways forward using the Krycklan Catchment Study. Hydrological Processes. 2021;35(4):e14170.
Vachon D, Prairie YT, Cole JJ. The relationship between near‐surface turbulence and gas transfer velocity in freshwater systems and its implications for floating chamber measurements of gas exchange. Limnology and oceanography. 2010;55(4):1723-1732.
Komatsu T, Hashim M, Nurdin N, Noiraksar T, Prathep A, Stankovic M, Hayashizaki17 KI. Practical mapping methods of seagrass beds by satellite remote sensing and ground truthing. Coast Mar Sci. 2020;43(1):1-25.
Sonter LJ, Watson KB, Wood SA, Ricketts TH. Spatial and temporal dynamics and value of nature-based recreation, estimated via social media. PLoS one. 2016;11(9):e0162372.
Abbott LF, Kepler TB. Model neurons: from hodgkin-huxley to hopfield. In Statistical Mechanics of Neural Networks: Proceedings of the Xlth Sitges Conference Sitges, Barcelona, Spain, 3–7 June 1990 Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 2005;5-18.
Farina R, Sándor R, Abdalla M, Álvaro‐Fuentes J, Bechini L, Bolinder MA, Bellocchi G. Ensemble modelling, uncertainty and robust predictions of organic carbon in long‐term bare‐fallow soils. Global Change Biology. 2021;27(4):904-928.
Nanda S, Dalai AK, Berruti F, Kozinski JA. Biochar as an exceptional bioresource for energy, agronomy, carbon sequestration, activated carbon and specialty materials. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2016;7:201-235.
Wich SA, Koh LP. Conservation drones: mapping and monitoring biodiversity. Oxford University Press. 2018.
Augustyn J. Emerging science and technology trends: 2017-2047. Future Scout Providence United States; 2017.
Zahed MA, Movahed E, Khodayari A, Zanganeh S, Badamaki M. Biotechnology for carbon capture and fixation: Critical review and future directions. Journal of Environmental Management. 2021;293: 112830.
Nair PR. Agroforestry systems and environmental quality: introduction. Journal of environmental quality. 2011;40(3):784-790.
Di Sacco A, Hardwick KA, Blakesley D, Brancalion PH, Breman E, Cecilio Rebola L, Antonelli, A. Ten golden rules for reforestation to optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits. Global Change Biology. 2021;27(7):1328-1348.
Nair PR. Agroforestry systems and environmental quality: introduction. Journal of environmental quality. 2011;40(3):784-790.
Fischer J, Gardner TA, Bennett EM, Balvanera P, Biggs R, Carpenter S, Tenhunen J. Advancing sustainability through mainstreaming a social–ecological systems perspective. Current opinion in environmental sustainability. 2015;14:144-149.
Fahad S, Sonmez O, Saud S, Wang D, Wu C, Adnan M, Turan V. (Eds.). Sustainable soil and land management and climate change. CRC Press; 2021.
Palm C, Blanco-Canqui H, DeClerck F, Gatere L, Grace P. Conservation agriculture and ecosystem services: An overview. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2014;187:87-105.
Kumar V. Multifunctional agroforestry systems in tropics region. Nature Environment and Pollution Technology. 2016;15(2):365.
Veluguri D, Ramanjaneyulu GV, Jaacks L. Statewise report cards on ecological sustainability of agriculture in India. Review of Rural Affairs. 2019;54(29):19-27.
Dutta S, Dhillon SS. Structural transformation of Punjab Agriculture and its environmental implications. Indian Journal of Economics and Development. 2020;16(4):533-546.
Tamburini G, Bommarco R, Wanger TC, Kremen C, Van Der Heijden MG, Liebman M, Hallin S. Agricultural diversification promotes multiple ecosystem services without compromising yield. Science advances. 2020;6(45):eaba1715.
Tse-Ring K, Sharma E, Chettri N, Shrestha AB. Climate change vulnerability of mountain ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayas. International centre for integrated mountain development (ICIMOD); 2010.
Lilleskov E, McCullough K, Hergoualc’h K, del Castillo Torres D, Chimner R, Murdiyarso D, Wayson C. Is Indonesian peatland loss a cautionary tale for Peru? A two-country comparison of the magnitude and causes of tropical peatland degradation. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. 2019; 24:591-623.
FAO: Yearbook of Agriculture, FAO, Rome, Italy; 2001.
Lal R. Soil carbon sequestration in India. Climatic Change. 2004;65(3):277-296.