Summary
This 2016 Nature review by leading soil scientists integrates evidence from multiple regions and farming systems to argue that soil management is central to climate-smart agriculture. The authors demonstrate that practices enhancing soil carbon storage can simultaneously improve farm resilience to climate stress, positioning soils as both a significant carbon sink and an adaptation lever for agriculture. The work reflects mid-2010s scientific consensus that soil health and climate mitigation are intrinsically linked in sustainable farming.
UK applicability
The review's findings on temperate agroecosystems, conservation tillage, and grassland management are directly applicable to UK farming conditions. UK policymakers and farmers can draw on the synthesised evidence to inform soil carbon initiatives and climate adaptation strategies in arable and pastoral systems.
Key measures
Soil carbon sequestration rates; farm resilience indicators; greenhouse gas emissions from soils; impacts of specific management practices (tillage, cropping systems, amendments) on carbon stocks and agricultural productivity
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises evidence on how soil management practices (conservation tillage, cover cropping, nutrient management, and organic amendments) can sequester carbon and enhance farm resilience to climate variability. It evaluates the dual climate benefits of soil-centred interventions across multiple agroecosystems and regions.
Topic tags
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