Digging deeper: A holistic perspective of factors affecting soil organic carbon sequestration in agroecosystems
Abstract
The global magnitude (Pg) of soil organic carbon (SOC) is 677 to 0.3-m, 993 to 0.5-m, and 1,505 to 1-m depth. Thus, ~55% of SOC to 1-m lies below 0.3-m depth. Soils of agroecosystems are depleted of their SOC stock and have a low use efficiency of inputs of agronomic yield. This review is a collation and synthesis of articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The rates of SOC sequestration are scaled up to the global level by linear extrapolation. Soil C sink capacity depends on depth, clay content and mineralogy, plant available water holding capacity, nutrient reserves, landscape position, and the antecedent SOC stock. Estimates of the historic depletion of SOC in world soils, 115-154 (average of 135) Pg C and equivalent to the technical potential or the maximum soil C sink capacity, need to be improved. A positive soil C budget is created by increasing the input of biomass-C to exceed the SOC losses by erosion and mineralization. The global hotspots of SOC sequestration, soils which are farther from C saturation, include eroded, degraded, desertified, and depleted soils. Ecosystems where SOC sequestration is feasible include 4,900 Mha of agricultural land including 332 Mha equipped for irrigation, 400 Mha of urban lands, and ~2,000 Mha of degraded lands. The rate of SOC sequestration (Mg C ha -1 year -1 ) is 0.25-1.0 in croplands, 0.10-0.175 in pastures, 0.5-1.0 in permanent crops and urban lands, 0.3-0.7 in salt-affected and chemically degraded soils, 0.2-0.5 in physic…
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Bottom-up estimates of global SOC sequestration potential vary widely in the literature, from 0.4 to 9.1 Gt CO2 year-1.
“Bottom- up estimates vary widely in the literature, from 0.4 (IPCC, 2019) up to 9.1 Gt CO 2 year -1 (Lal, 2018).”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Lal, 2018
The most optimistic global potential estimate of ca. 454 Gt CO2 represents a little under 12 years of global CO2 emissions at the current rate of 39 Gt CO2 year-1, and 3.5 years under the assumption of a fast decreasing SOC sequestration rate.
“Following this approach, the most optimistic global potential estimate of ca. 454 Gt CO 2 (Lal, 2018 ) represents a little under 12 years of global CO 2 emissions at the current rate of 39 Gt CO 2 year -1 , and 3.5 years of global CO 2 emissions under our assumption of a fast decreasing SOC sequestration rate.”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Lal, 2018
Under the unrealistic assumption of an unlimited sequestration potential, the possible contribution of SOC sequestration alone would range from 1.0% to 23.7% of the efforts towards a 1.5°C target for the horizon 2100.
“In this context, the possible contribution of SOC sequestration alone, under the unrealistic assumption of an unlimited sequestration potential, would range from 1.0% (IPCC, 2019) to 23.7% (Lal, 2018) of the efforts towards a 1.5°C target for the horizon 2100 (Figure 1c; taking 0.4 and 9.1 Gt CO 2 year -1 as initial rates).”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Lal, 2018
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RETRACTED: Biochar modulating soil biological health: A review
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Retracted
- Authors
- Lal, R.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lal, Rattan
- ORCID
- Lal, Rattan
- Venue
- Global Change Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-03-25
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 3285-3301
- ISSN
- 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2486
- OpenAlex
- W2790329997
- Cited by
- 900
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 130 · 2025: 148 · 2024: 154 · 2023: 147 · 2022: 104 · 2021: 96 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 15
- FWCI
- 5.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Keywords
- soil organic carbon sequestration, agroecosystems, soil carbon loss, soil depth, clay content, soil mineralogy, water holding capacity, soil erosion, degraded soils, desertification, cropland, pasture, permanent crops, urban soils, technical potential
- MeSH terms
- Agriculture, Soil, Ecosystem, Carbon Sequestration
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