Soil pH and precipitation controls on organic carbon retention from organic amendments across soil orders: A meta-analysis

Summary

This meta-analysis synthesises empirical data on carbon persistence from organic soil amendments across diverse soil types and climatic regions, identifying soil pH and precipitation as key environmental controls on retention outcomes. The work demonstrates substantial variation in amendment-carbon retention depending on pedological and hydrological context, suggesting that organic matter management strategies should be tailored to local soil and climate conditions to optimise carbon sequestration and soil health benefits. The findings address a gap in understanding how broadly transferable carbon sequestration benefits from amendment application may be across different soil orders and climates.

Regional applicability

The findings are applicable to UK farming systems, where soil pH variation (particularly in upland and acid soils) and precipitation patterns are significant environmental variables. Practitioners and policy-makers seeking to optimise soil carbon sequestration through organic amendment strategies may benefit from considering local soil acidity and rainfall regimes when designing interventions.

Key measures

Organic carbon retention rates from amendments; soil pH; annual precipitation; soil order classification; amendment type and application rate

Outcomes reported

This meta-analysis quantified the persistence of organic carbon from soil amendments across different soil orders, climates and management contexts. The study identified soil pH and precipitation as primary environmental drivers of amendment-carbon retention rates.

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