To reduce atmospheric carbon pollution caused by global warming, there is growing interest in paying farmers to increase the amount of carbon absorbed by plants and stored in the soil.
For example, farmers might plant perennial grasses with long roots that lock carbon underground.
Tatguess: “But if we're spending all this money and we're not getting a real-world increase in soil carbon storage because we're not measuring and monitoring it properly, then that's a lot of wasted money and we're not achieving our goals. .
Nicole Tautges works at the Michael Fields Agricultural Research Institute in Wisconsin.
Some strategies for increasing soil carbon are more effective than others, so monitoring real-world changes and doing so accurately is crucial, she said.
Her research shows that measuring only the top layer of soil may provide a misleading picture of soil carbon.
Tatgers: “That is, if you only look at the upper foot and observe an increase, there may be losses occurring in deeper parts of the soil.”
Incentive programs should require monitoring of soil carbon at multiple depths to ensure any payments to farmers deliver real climate benefits, she said.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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