FRDC Soil Carbon team
Growing Agriculture & Forestry Sector to Advance Export and Environmental Opportunities.
Soil Carbon
Carbon is part of all plants and animals, and is the key element in the soil organic matter
In turn, soil organic matter (black soil) is essential for a variety of needs like food, fibre and biomass production and the provision of essential ecosystem services such as water filtration. In agriculture, soil organic matter regulates plant nitrogen-use efficiency, stores and supplies other nutrients essential to plants and soil organisms, holds soil particles together, reduces soil erosion risk, improves the soil’s ability to retain and transmit water for healthy crop growth, and provides a porous medium for root growth. climate change carbon cycle carbon footprint
Estimates suggest that several billion dollars is lost every year due to decreasing soil organic matter levels (SCCC, 2017).
To address and analyze this issue, we use a combination of field measurements and analytical methods, including quantitative stable isotope techniques. climate change carbon cycle carbon footprint
Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) assessment
Our research group is working on several projects to assess beneficial management practices that result in more productive soils and better yields without causing soil organic matter degradation. climate change carbon cycle carbon footprint