Which of the following is not a way in which carbon sequestration can benefit soil?

 

With the advances in technology and the wide scale of effects that climate change has, there is an opportunity to integrate new approaches. One of them is carbon capture and storage which apart from reducing greenhouse gas emissions enhances the soils. Since the world is on the boil, experiencing all sorts of harsh weather conditions, and struggling to require feeding the population, the role of carbon stock within the soil cannot be overemphasized.

Carbon sequestration is defined as capture, transportation and stabilization of CO2 in the carbon sinks like the soil. By improving its AIMs, a precious social investment can be derived from one of the most effective eco-agricultural processes, namely soil carbon sequestration. Another section details the various reasons why carbon sequestration is a dimension of soil and why it is not believed otherwise.

Soil carbon sequestration is controlled accumulation of carbon dioxide in soil organic matter through land retention. It relies on certain agricultural practices as well as natural and anthropogenic land management processes. The biggest pool of carbon is in the soil because it contributes three and half times the carbon of that of the atmosphere. In this way, without significantly degrading the structure of soil, enrich soils through carbon and hence mitigating global warming.

Knowledge on Carbon Storage in Soils

1. Increased Soil Fertility

Soil fertility is one of the major gains that results from carbon sequestration. The element when sequestered in the soil becomes one of the building blocks of organic matter which in turn enhances the supply of nutrients. Organic matter also serves as a moisture reservoir, assists in forming better soil structure and encourages the growth of micro-organisms which are beneficial to crops.

2. Enhanced Moisture Retention

Organic carbonated soil still has increased moisture retention capacity. This factor is very important in those regions which had been classified as arid and semi-arid because dependence on irrigation is highly reduced, thus improving drought tolerance. The well-aerated or structured soils could also better cope with excessive downpour of rains reducing the incidences of run off and soil erosion.

3. Biodiversity Conservation

Soil carbon sequestration allows the establishment of environmental friendly ecosystems. Such soils are biologically active and rich with bacteria, fungi as well as plant roots which play a great role in soil nutrients cycling. But more importantly higher diversity means better ecosystem but the pests or diseases which can harm the crop will be resisted.

4. Climate Change Adaptation

Carbon sequestration reduces climate change as it involves pulling of CO2 from the atmosphere directly. Soil carbon builds up thereby reducing greenhouse gases in an effort to mitigate climate change. Remediation pathways that enhance the rate at which carbon is stored in the soil include the practices of agroforestry and use of covers in cropping.

5. Heightened Crop Production

Soil health improvement through carbon sequestration has proven to boost agricultural productivity. It has been noted that healthy soils are more suppressive which in turn means that there will be better crop yields over the years. This is even more so considering the exponential growth of the global population, which of course requires more food to feed.

The Myths Associated with Carbon Storage in Soils

Taking into account the benefits of carbon sequestration, there is one myth we should correct: Carbon sequestration is not capable of raising the soil temperatures. In fact, addition of organic matter via carbon sequestration usually aids in reduction of soil temperatures. Increased soil organic matter creates a better insulating medium, thus ensuring a more stable temperature around the roots of plants and microorganisms.

Sustainable Practices and Their Application

In order to get the most benefits of carbon sequestration, climate friendly farming techniques should be adopted. Its usage when there is no other plant in the fields known as cover cropping has a way of trapping carbon dioxide, preventing soil erosion and enhancing the structure of the soil.

Till to the land one last time in order to minimize that much of intervention on the soil, which aids a lot in the formation of structure that in turn helps in the retention of matters that are capable of organic recycling.

Apart from that, it has been noted that agroforestry which is the practice of planting trees in farming land has been known to enhance the levels of carbon sequestration thus enhancing the biological aspects linked to a sound growth of the environment, thereby enhancing productivity of the farming land.                                                                                   

Conclusion

Soil is the primary carbon sink in the atmosphere. Thus, carbon sequestration in soil enhances soil condition, promotes farming activities and reduces global warming. Its advantages are multi-dimensional i.e. fertility and water retention is improved plus enhancement of biodiversity and sustainable land use. The farmers, the land managers and policy makers should be in a position to understand and put into practice carbon sequestration.