Summary
This 2020 systematic review in Nature Sustainability examines global evidence on soil carbon sequestration within natural climate solutions, synthesising sequestration rates and scalability potential across diverse agricultural management practices and farming systems. The authors assess co-benefits and constraints of soil-based climate mitigation, contextualising soil carbon enhancement within the broader climate intervention portfolio. The analysis acknowledges both technical potential and practical limits of soil carbon approaches as a climate strategy.
UK applicability
The review's findings on temperate grassland and arable systems are directly relevant to UK farming. UK policy frameworks (e.g. Environmental Land Management schemes) increasingly rely on soil carbon enhancement; this systematic evidence helps calibrate realistic sequestration targets and identify management practices suited to British conditions and soil types.
Key measures
Soil carbon sequestration rates; sequestration potential (Gt CO₂e per year); scalability across regions and farming systems; co-benefits (e.g. productivity, resilience); costs and constraints
Outcomes reported
The study synthesised global evidence on soil carbon sequestration rates, scalability potential, and co-benefits across diverse agricultural management practices and farming systems. It assessed the role of soil-based approaches within the broader portfolio of natural climate solutions and identified technical potential alongside practical constraints.
Topic tags
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