Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change: a critical re‐examination to identify the true and the false
Abstract
The term ‘carbon sequestration' is commonly used to describe any increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content caused by a change in land management, with the implication that increased soil carbon (C) storage mitigates climate change. However, this is only true if the management practice causes an additional net transfer of C from the atmosphere to land. Limitations of C sequestration for climate change mitigation include the following constraints: (i) the quantity of C stored in soil is finite, (ii) the process is reversible and (iii) even if SOC is increased there may be changes in the fluxes of other greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane. Removing land from annual cropping and converting to forest, grassland or perennial crops will remove C from atmospheric CO₂ and genuinely contribute to climate change mitigation. However, indirect effects such as conversion of land elsewhere under native vegetation to agriculture could negate the benefit through increased CO₂ emission. Re-vegetating degraded land, of limited value for food production, avoids this problem. Adding organic materials such as crop residues or animal manure to soil, whilst increasing SOC, generally does not constitute an additional transfer of C from the atmosphere to land, depending on the alternative fate of the residue. Increases in SOC from reduced tillage now appear to be much smaller than previously claimed, at least in temperate regions, and in some situations increased N₂O emiss…
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The higher potential for SOC sequestration of switchgrass can be attributed to a large proportion of switchgrass fine roots extending into deeper soil layers with greater rhizodeposition than Miscanthus, thereby stimulating C4-derived C contribution to SOC.
“First, a large proportion of switchgrass fine roots (with a root diameter less than 2 mm) extended into the deeper soil layers with a subsequently greater rhizodeposition than Miscanthus , thereby stimulating C 4 - derived C contribution to SOC (Laurent et al., 2015; Powlson et al.,2011).”
From Marginal land conversion to perennial energy crops with biomass removal enhances soil carbon sequestration (2022) · cites this paper as Powlson et al.,2011
SOC sequestration in a given soil contributes to climate change mitigation only when sequestration results from a net gain of carbon from the atmosphere.
“However, this is only true when sequestration results from a net gain of C from the atmosphere (Powlson et al., 2011).”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Powlson et al., 2011
Interpreting global SOC sequestration estimates in terms of their climate change mitigation potential is problematic because of well-known limitations.
“Interpreting global SOC sequestration estimates in terms of their climate change mitigation potential is problematic because of a number of well- known limitations as briefly mentioned in the previous section (Baveye et al., 2018; Powlson et al., 2011; Rumpel et al., 2019).”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Powlson et al., 2011
A lack of consideration for nitrogen use efficiency is a missed opportunity to strongly reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of agriculture as much as it is a trade-off with SOC sequestration.
“We, therefore, argue that a lack of consideration for nitrogen use efficiency is a missed opportunity to strongly reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of agriculture as much as it is a trade- off with SOC sequestration (Powlson et al., 2011).”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Powlson et al., 2011
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“First, a large proportion of switchgrass fine roots (with a root diameter less than 2 mm) extended into the deeper soil layers with a subsequently greater rhizodeposition than Miscanthus, thereby stimulating C4derived C contribution to SOC (Laurent et al., 2015; Powlson et al., 2011).”
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- Authors
- Powlson, D. S., Whitmore, A. P., & Goulding, K. W. T.
- Affiliations
- Rothamsted Research (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Powlson, D. S.
- Venue
- European Journal of Soil Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-01-17
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 42-55
- ISSN
- 1351-0754 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2389
- OpenAlex
- W2041480548
- Cited by
- 829
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 43 · 2025: 66 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 56 · 2021: 72 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 60 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 85.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Soil Science (publishedVersion)
- Rothamsted Repository (Rothamsted Repository) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/C/00004930, BBS/E/C/00004982)
- 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
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
- Keywords
- soil carbon sequestration, soil organic carbon, climate change mitigation, land use change, nitrous oxide emissions, methane emissions, greenhouse gas fluxes, reduced tillage, crop residues, manure, fertilizer use, reforestation, degraded land revegetation, nitrogen use efficiency
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