The potential of world cropland soils to sequester C and mitigate the greenhouse effect

Soil Organic Carbon Changes in Diversified Rotations of the Western Corn Belt

“…They noted that soil C sequestration rates in response to either of these types of management practice changes can have a delayed response, reaching peak sequestration rates between 5 and 10 yr after initiation and then declining to near zero after 15 to 20 yr. Similar conclusions have been reported in a review by Lal et al (1998) based on results from Franzluebbers and Arshad (1996). It is important to examine these practices in long-term studies because of the amount of time required for many of these management practices to significantly change SOC content.…”

Storage and Turnover of Organic Matter in Soil

“…Moreover, converting tilled land to no-till agriculture can lead to rapid increases in soil C stocks, at least near the soil surface (Lal and Bruce 1999). Consequently, management of cropping systems may have potential for C sequestration and has been promoted as a way to offset anthropogenic C emissions (Kong et al 2005).…”

High-Value Renewable Energy from Prairie Grasses

“…Increased sequestration of soil organic C (SOC) is a potentially important strategy for offsetting carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions to the atmosphere (21). Soil C can be enhanced through improved agricultural practices, including the planting of perennial bioenergy crops.…”