TITLE:
Evaluation of Carbon Sequestration Potential of Soils―What Is Missing?
AUTHORS:
Haruna Adamu, Yuguda Abubakar Umar, Hannatu Akanang, Ahmed Sabo
KEYWORDS:
Soil, Carbon Sequestration Potential, Climate Change, Mitigation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.8,
August
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: It is no doubt that soils are among the Earth’s
largest terrestrial reservoirs of carbon pool and hold potential for its
sequestration and thus, soils can serve as potential way of mitigating the ever-increasing
atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, the stability and flux of
soil organic carbon are affected in response to changes that are being driven
by forms of environmental and anthropogenic factors. Therefore, to establish
carbon sequestration potential of soils, an in-depth scientific evaluation that
would provide mapping of and speciation of carbon chemical forms, as well as factors
influencing the persistence of carbon in soils are key to the process which are
beyond quantitative measurements that are conventionally implemented under
different land use and/or soil management. This involves soil chemistry,
physics, biology, and microbiology. Hence, this short review communication
highlights portions of soil chemistry and physics as well as soil biology and
microbiology that have not been given attention in determining and/or
underpinning decisions on carbon sequestration potential of soils.