Soil Inorganic Carbon: Unveiling its Role in the Global Carbon Cycle
Soil inorganic carbon (SIC), a pivotal component of terrestrial carbon stocks, contributes to up to half of the terrestrial C stock and holds significance in arid and semi-arid environments. Despite its importance in agriculture, CO2 sequestration, and climate regulation, SIC has received less attention compared to soil organic carbon (SOC). Recent findings challenge the notion of SIC's negligible contribution to the global carbon cycle, revealing its susceptibility to climate change and agricultural practices. Additionally, SOC and SIC are interrelated and we need to account for both SOC and SIC to build a complete picture of the soil C cycle. In addition, understanding the interaction of both C forms helps build resilient soils to global changes.
Experts dove into these topics:
Prof. Budiman Minasny (University of Sydney, member of the Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) of the international "4 per 1000" Initiative) moderated the session
Prof. Rosa Poch (Universitat de Lleida, ITPS Chair and permanent invitee of “4 per 1000” STC) led the discussion
Dr. Kazem Zamanian (soil scientist at the Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany) talked about SIC as an “important part of the Carbon Cycle and regulator of atmospheric CO2”. He referred to SIC as a totally overlooked carbon pool.
Dr. Iñigo Virto Quecedo (soil scientist and Associate Professor at Universidad Pública de Navarra, UPNA, in Spain) elaborated on the interaction of SIC and soil management with a focus on irrigation systems.
Watch a recording of the webinar
Next webinar in the series:
November 27: "Measuring, Reporting and Verifying Soil Carbon Sequestration: Measurement or Modeling?"
The International "4 per 1000" Initiative has set up a strong Scientific and Technical Committee to guide its actions on a scientific level with 14 renowned experts from 5 continents and covering a wide disciplinary field. Set up on 17 November 2016, the STC gives orientations of the research program, plays a role of scientific and technical advice for the projects, proposes indicators for the evaluation framework, and contributes and validates the constitution of a database for the digital resource centre.
