Soil microbiome interventions for carbon sequestration and climate mitigation.

Summary

This 2025 review, published in mSystems by a large multidisciplinary author group, examines the role of soil microbial communities in mediating carbon sequestration and their potential as targets for climate mitigation strategies. Drawing on expertise across microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and environmental science, the paper likely synthesises mechanistic understanding of how soil microbiomes influence carbon cycling and assesses the feasibility of deliberate microbiome interventions at field and landscape scales. It is expected to highlight key knowledge gaps, the context-dependency of microbial interventions, and priorities for future research.

UK applicability

Although the review is global in scope, its findings are broadly applicable to UK agricultural and land management policy, particularly in the context of the UK Government's commitment to net zero and emerging soil carbon markets. UK practitioners and policymakers working on sustainable land management or nature-based solutions would likely find the mechanistic insights and intervention frameworks directly relevant.

Key measures

Soil carbon sequestration potential; greenhouse gas fluxes (CO₂, N₂O, CH₄); microbial community composition and function; carbon use efficiency; soil organic matter dynamics

Outcomes reported

The paper likely reviews current evidence and identifies opportunities for manipulating soil microbial communities to increase soil carbon storage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It probably evaluates the mechanisms, limitations, and scalability of microbiome-based interventions across different land use contexts.

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