Summary
This comprehensive review examines how soil organic carbon dynamics are influenced by land use transitions and management practices across agricultural systems. The authors synthesise evidence on SOC accumulation, loss and stabilisation under different land uses, and discuss mechanisms governing carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. The work suggests management practices—including reduced tillage, organic amendments, and crop diversification—can influence SOC stocks, though responses vary with soil type, climate and baseline conditions.
UK applicability
The review's findings on temperate soil carbon dynamics, tillage effects, and grassland-to-arable transitions are directly relevant to UK agricultural policy on soil carbon sequestration and natural capital accounting. UK practitioners may draw on management recommendations, though site-specific responses to practices like cover cropping and manure application should be validated under British conditions.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon concentration and stocks; SOC turnover rates; response to land use change and management interventions
Outcomes reported
This review synthesises evidence on how soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and dynamics respond to land use conversion and agronomic management practices. The paper examines mechanisms of SOC change and implications for soil health and sustainability across diverse farming systems.
Topic tags
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