Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 1 — Meta-analysis / systematic reviewPeer-reviewed

The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions

Déborah Bossio, Susan C. Cook‐Patton, Peter W. Ellis, Joseph Fargione, Jonathan Sanderman, Pete Smith, Stephen A. Wood, Robert J. Zomer, M. Unger, I.M. Emmer, Bronson W. Griscom

Nature Sustainability · 2020

Read source ↗ All evidence

Summary

This Nature Sustainability synthesis, authored by leading soil and climate scientists, examines soil carbon's contribution to climate change mitigation through natural climate solutions. The paper integrates evidence on soil carbon sequestration potential across farming systems and landscapes, positioning soil management as a viable pathway for agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation. As suggested by the authorship and journal scope, the work likely addresses both the biophysical potential and practical barriers to scaling soil carbon enhancement globally.

UK applicability

The findings are applicable to UK agricultural policy and practice, particularly regarding soil carbon sequestration in grassland, arable, and mixed farming systems. However, the global scope may require contextualisation for UK-specific soil types, climate zones, and existing policy frameworks (e.g., Environmental Land Management schemes and net-zero commitments).

Key measures

Soil carbon sequestration rates; greenhouse gas mitigation potential; farming system carbon storage capacity; scalability and implementation barriers across different agricultural contexts

Outcomes reported

The paper synthesises evidence on soil carbon sequestration potential across diverse farming systems and landscapes, assessing both the technical mitigation potential and practical implementation feasibility of soil carbon enhancement strategies. The authors evaluate soil management practices as pathways for climate change mitigation within agricultural and land-use contexts.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Systematic Review
Study design
Systematic review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Mixed farming
DOI
10.1038/s41893-020-0491-z
Catalogue ID
BFmowc2b4w-o0lq69

Topic tags

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