Environmental Science
Carbon Sequestration Mechanisms in Soil Organic Matter
Quick fact
The top meter of all soil stores roughly 1,500 to 2,400 gigatonnes of carbon—more than the atmosphere and all terrestrial vegetation combined, yet exactly how this carbon is 'locked away' is only now being revealed.
Why this is interesting
Your garden soil holds more carbon than the air above it, but why does some of that carbon stay for centuries while other bits vanish in years? The secret lies in the tiny structures and chemistry of soil.