Soil carbon sequestration in global working lands as a gateway for negative emission technologies

The ongoing climate crisis merits an urgent need to devise management approaches and new technologies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (GHG) in the near term. However, each year that GHG concentrations continue to rise, pressure mounts to develop and deploy atmospheric CO₂ removal pathways as a complement to, and not replacement for, emissions reductions. Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) practices in working lands provide a low-tech and cost-effective means for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere while also delivering co-benefits to people and ecosystems. Our model estimates suggest that, assuming additive effects, the technical potential of combined SCS practices can provide 30%–70% of the carbon removal required by the Paris Climate Agreement if applied to 25%–50% of the available global land area, respectively. Atmospheric CO₂ drawdown via SCS has the potential to last decades to centuries, although more research is needed to determine the long-term viability at scale and the durability of the carbon stored. Regardless of these research needs, we argue that SCS can at least serve as a bridging technology, reducing atmospheric CO₂ in the short term while energy and transportation systems adapt to a low-C economy. Soil C sequestration in working lands holds promise as a climate change mitigation tool, but the current rate of implementation remains too slow to make significant progress toward global emissions goals by 2050. Outreach and education, methodology development for C offset registries, improved access to materials and supplies, and improved research networks are needed to accelerate the rate of SCS practice implementation. Herein, we present an argument for the immediate adoption of SCS practices in working lands and recommendations for improved implementation.     

生物炭施用的固碳减排潜力及农田效应

气候变暖及粮食安全是保证人类可持续发展的重要课题。生物炭具有较高的稳定性、较高碳含量等特点,能增加土壤碳储量,提高土壤物理及化学性质,提高农田产出,能应对高温胁迫及土壤退化双重压力,具有一举多赢的生态环境效益,在缓解温室效应及粮食危机方面展现出巨大的潜力。综合前人研究成果,分析了生物炭固碳减排潜力及农田效应影响因素(包括:生物炭原料、制备温度、施用量、土壤类型等)。综合固碳减排及提高产出两方面因素,提出了较合适的生物炭施用标准,即300—700℃制备的农林废弃物生物炭,且施用量不超过5%。对生物炭固碳减排及田间效应领域未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

Trade-offs in carbon-degrading enzyme activities limit long-term soil carbon sequestration with biochar addition

Biochar amendment is one of the most promising agricultural approaches to tackle climate change by enhancing soil carbon (C) sequestration. Microbial-mediated decomposition processes are fundamental for the fate and persistence of sequestered C in soil, but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Here, we synthesise 923 observations regarding the effects of biochar addition (over periods ranging from several weeks to several years) on soil C-degrading enzyme activities from 130 articles across five continents worldwide. Our results showed that biochar addition increased soil ligninase activity targeting complex phenolic macromolecules by 7.1%, but suppressed cellulase activity degrading simpler polysaccharides by 8.3%. These shifts in enzyme activities explained the most variation of changes in soil C sequestration across a wide range of climatic, edaphic and experimental conditions, with biochar-induced shift in ligninase:cellulase ratio correlating negatively with soil C sequestration. Specifically, short-term (<1 year) biochar addition significantly reduced cellulase activity by 4.6% and enhanced soil organic C sequestration by 87.5%, whereas no significant responses were observed for ligninase activity and ligninase:cellulase ratio. However, long-term (≥1 year) biochar addition significantly enhanced ligninase activity by 5.2% and ligninase:cellulase ratio by 36.1%, leading to a smaller increase in soil organic C sequestration (25.1%). These results suggest that shifts in enzyme activities increased ligninase:cellulase ratio with time after biochar addition, limiting long-term soil C sequestration with biochar addition. Our work provides novel evidence to explain the diminished soil C sequestration with long-term biochar addition and suggests that earlier studies may have overestimated soil C sequestration with biochar addition by failing to consider the physiological acclimation of soil microorganisms over time.     

Soil carbon increased by twice the amount of biochar carbon applied after 6 years: Field evidence of negative priming

Applying biochar to agricultural soils has been proposed as a means of sequestering carbon (C) while simultaneously enhancing soil health and agricultural sustainability. However, our understanding of the long‐term effects of biochar and annual versus perennial cropping systems and their interactions on soil properties under field conditions is limited. We quantified changes in soil C concentration and stocks, and other soil properties 6 years after biochar applications to corn (Zea mays L.) and dedicated bioenergy crops on a Midwestern US soil. Treatments were as follows: no‐till continuous corn, Liberty switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and low‐diversity prairie grasses, 45% big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), 45% Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), and 10% sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), as main plots, and wood biochar (9.3 Mg/ha with 63% total C) and no biochar applications as subplots. Biochar‐amended plots accumulated more C (14.07 Mg soil C/ha vs. 2.25 Mg soil C/ha) than non‐biochar‐amended plots in the 0–30 cm soil depth but other soil properties were not significantly affected by the biochar amendments. The total increase in C stocks in the biochar‐amended plots was nearly twice (14.07 Mg soil C/ha) the amount of C added with biochar 6 years earlier (7.25 Mg biochar C/ha), suggesting a negative priming effect of biochar on formation and/or mineralization of native soil organic C. Dedicated bioenergy crops increased soil C concentration by 79% and improved both aggregation and plant available water in the 0–5 cm soil depth. Biochar did not interact with the cropping systems. Overall, biochar has the potential to increase soil C stocks both directly and through negative priming, but, in this study, it had limited effects on other soil properties after 6 years.     

Potential for biochar carbon sequestration from crop residues: A global spatially explicit assessment

Global warming necessitates urgent action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Biochar, a type of carbonized biomass which can be produced from crop residues (CRs), offers a promising solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) when it is used to sequester photosynthetically fixed carbon that would otherwise have been returned to atmospheric CO₂ through respiration or combustion. However, high-resolution spatially explicit maps of CR resources and their capacity for climate change mitigation through biochar production are currently lacking, with previous global studies relying on coarse (mostly country scale) aggregated statistics. By developing a comprehensive high spatial resolution global dataset of CR production, we show that, globally, CRs generate around 2.4 Pg C annually. If 100% of these residues were utilized, the maximum theoretical technical potential for biochar production from CRs amounts to 1.0 Pg C year⁻¹ (3.7 Pg CO₂e year⁻¹). The permanence of biochar differs across regions, with the fraction of initial carbon that remains after 100 years ranging from 60% in warm climates to nearly 100% in cryosols. Assuming that biochar is sequestered in soils close to point of production, approximately 0.72 Pg C year⁻¹ (2.6 Pg CO₂e year⁻¹) of the technical potential would remain sequestered after 100 years. However, when considering limitations on sustainable residue harvesting and competing livestock usage, the global biochar production potential decreases to 0.51 Pg C year⁻¹ (1.9 Pg CO₂e year⁻¹), with 0.36 Pg C year⁻¹ (1.3 Pg CO₂e year⁻¹) remaining sequestered after a century. Twelve countries have the technical potential to sequester over one fifth of their current emissions as biochar from CRs, with Bhutan (68%) and India (53%) having the largest ratios. The high-resolution maps of CR production and biochar sequestration potential provided here will provide valuable insights and support decision-making related to biochar production and investment in biochar production capacity.     

Pyrolysis biochar systems,balance between bioenergy and carbon sequestration

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which it is possible to marry the two seemingly opposing concepts of heat and/or power production from biomass with carbon sequestration in the form of biochar. To do this, we investigated the effects of feedstock, highest heating temperature (HTT), residence time at HTT and carrier gas flow rate on the distribution of pyrolysis co‐products and their energy content, as well as the carbon sequestration potential of biochar. Biochar was produced from wood pellets (WP) and straw pellets (SP) at two temperatures (350 and 650 °C), with three residence times (10, 20 and 40 min) and three carrier gas flow rates (0, 0.33 and 0.66 l min^?1). The energy balance of the system was determined experimentally by quantifying the energy contained within pyrolysis co‐products. Biochar was also analysed for physicochemical and soil functional properties, namely environmentally stable‐C and labile‐C content. Residence time showed no considerable effect on any of the measured properties. Increased HTT resulted in higher concentrations of fixed C, total C and stable‐C in biochar, as well as higher heating value (HHV) due to the increased release of volatile compounds. Increased carrier gas flow rate resulted in decreased biochar yields and reduced biochar stable‐C and labile‐C content. Pyrolysis at 650 °C showed an increased stable‐C yield as well as a decreased proportion of energy stored in the biochar fraction but increased stored energy in the liquid and gas co‐products. Carrier gas flow rate was also seen to be influential in determining the proportion of energy stored in the gas phase. Understanding the influence of production conditions on long term biochar stability in addition to the energy content of the co‐products obtained from pyrolysis is critical for the development of specifically engineered biochar, be it for agricultural use, carbon storage, energy generation or combinations of the three.     

稻田秸秆还田:土壤固碳与甲烷增排

基于我国农田土壤有机质长期定位试验和稻田甲烷排放试验成果,将全国稻田划分为单季区和双季区.根据土壤有机质试验数据,分析了秸秆还田在我国两个稻田区的单季稻田、水旱轮作稻田和双季稻田的固碳潜力.同时根据我国稻田甲烷排放试验数据,采用取平均排放系数的方法,估算了我国稻田在无秸秆还田情况下的甲烷排放总量;结合IPCC推荐的方法和参数,估算了我国稻田秸秆还田后甲烷排放总量及增排甲烷的全球增温潜势.结果表明:在中国稻田推广秸秆还田的固碳潜力为10.48TgC.a-1,对减缓全球变暖的贡献为38.43TgCO2-eqv.a-1;但秸秆还田后稻田甲烷排放将从无秸秆还田的5.796Tg.a-1增加到9.114Tg.a-1;秸秆还田引起甲烷增排3.318Tg.a-1,其全球增温潜势达82.95TgCO2-eqv.a-1,为土壤固碳减排潜力的2.158倍.可见,推广秸秆还田后,中国稻田增排甲烷的温室效应会大幅抵消土壤固碳的减排效益,是一项重要的温室气体泄漏.     

Managing for soil carbon sequestration: Let’s get realistic

Improved soil management is increasingly pursued to ensure food security for the world's rising global population, with the ancillary benefit of storing carbon in soils to lower the threat of climate change. While all increments to soil organic matter are laudable, we suggest caution in ascribing large, potential climate change mitigation to enhanced soil management. We find that the most promising techniques, including applications of biochar and enhanced silicate weathering, collectively are not likely to balance more than 5% of annual emissions of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion.     

Soil carbon sequestration and land‐use change: processes and potential

When agricultural land is no longer used for cultivation and allowed to revert to natural vegetation or replanted to perennial vegetation, soil organic carbon can accumulate. This accumulation process essentially reverses some of the effects responsible for soil organic carbon losses from when the land was converted from perennial vegetation. We discuss the essential elements of what is known about soil organic matter dynamics that may result in enhanced soil carbon sequestration with changes in land‐use and soil management. We review literature that reports changes in soil organic carbon after changes in land‐use that favour carbon accumulation. This data summary provides a guide to approximate rates of SOC sequestration that are possible with management, and indicates the relative importance of some factors that influence the rates of organic carbon sequestration in soil. There is a large variation in the length of time for and the rate at which carbon may accumulate in soil, related to the productivity of the recovering vegetation, physical and biological conditions in the soil, and the past history of soil organic carbon inputs and physical disturbance. Maximum rates of C accumulation during the early aggrading stage of perennial vegetation growth, while substantial, are usually much less than 100 g C m^?2 y^?1. Average rates of accumulation are similar for forest or grassland establishment: 33.8 g C m^?2 y^?1 and 33.2 g C m^?2 y^?1, respectively. These observed rates of soil organic C accumulation, when combined with the small amount of land area involved, are insufficient to account for a significant fraction of the missing C in the global carbon cycle as accumulating in the soils of formerly agricultural land.     

生物炭对土壤有机碳矿化的激发效应及其机理研究进展

近年来由于生物炭具有碳素稳定性强和孔隙结构发达等特性,其在土壤固碳减排方面的作用研究受到广泛关注.然而当生物炭进入土壤环境后最终是增加土壤碳的储存还是促进土壤碳的排放?目前学术界对该问题仍存在争议.生物炭对土壤有机碳的激发效应及其机理研究有待进一步深入开展.本文在分析生物炭自身碳素组分和稳定性、孔隙结构及表面形态特征的基础上,综述了添加生物炭对土壤本底有机碳矿化产生激发效应的研究进展,分别阐述了产生正激发和负激发效应(即促进和抑制矿化)的机制机理,认为正激发效应主要是基于生物炭促进土壤微生物活性增强、生物炭中易分解组分的优先矿化以及由此引发的土壤微生物的共代谢作用,而负激发效应主要是基于生物炭内部孔隙结构和外表面对土壤有机质的包封作用和吸附保护作用、生物炭促进土壤有机-无机复合体形成的稳定化作用、生物炭对土壤微生物及其酶活性的抑制作用.最后对今后相关研究方向进行了展望,以期为生物炭在土壤固碳减排方面的应用提供理论依据.     

农田土壤有机碳固定潜力研究进展

土壤有机碳的贮存和损失的研究是目前国际上前沿研究领域之一。研究农田土壤有机碳固定过程 ,对于了解农业生产过程和生态过程的关系具有十分重要的意义。在农田土壤中 ,发生变化的有机碳主要是年轻或轻组有机碳 ,而且土壤有机碳的损失或固定都是在土壤表层和有限的时间内发生 ,且数量巨大。传统的耕作体系是造成土壤有机碳损失的主要原因。为了增加农田土壤有机碳的保有量 ,农业管理措施应该从增加有机碳的输入量 (如草田轮作、保留残茬以及施用肥料等 )和减少土壤有机碳的矿化 (少、免耕等 )两方面入手     

Characterising the biophysical,economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology

To limit warming to well below 2°C, most scenario projections rely on greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRTs); one such GGRT uses soil carbon sequestration (SCS) in agricultural land. In addition to their role in mitigating climate change, SCS practices play a role in delivering agroecosystem resilience, climate change adaptability and food security. Environmental heterogeneity and differences in agricultural practices challenge the practical implementation of SCS, and our analysis addresses the associated knowledge gap. Previous assessments have focused on global potentials, but there is a need among policymakers to operationalise SCS. Here, we assess a range of practices already proposed to deliver SCS, and distil these into a subset of specific measures. We provide a multidisciplinary summary of the barriers and potential incentives towards practical implementation of these measures. First, we identify specific practices with potential for both a positive impact on SCS at farm level and an uptake rate compatible with global impact. These focus on: (a) optimising crop primary productivity (e.g. nutrient optimisation, pH management, irrigation); (b) reducing soil disturbance and managing soil physical properties (e.g. improved rotations, minimum till); (c) minimising deliberate removal of C or lateral transport via erosion processes (e.g. support measures, bare fallow reduction); (d) addition of C produced outside the system (e.g. organic manure amendments, biochar addition); (e) provision of additional C inputs within the cropping system (e.g. agroforestry, cover cropping). We then consider economic and non‐cost barriers and incentives for land managers implementing these measures, along with the potential externalised impacts of implementation. This offers a framework and reference point for holistic assessment of the impacts of SCS. Finally, we summarise and discuss the ability of extant scientific approaches to quantify the technical potential and externalities of SCS measures, and the barriers and incentives to their implementation in global agricultural systems.     

生物炭添加对土壤呼吸和有机碳含量的影响

以菜地和果园土壤为研究对象,通过室内培养实验,向土壤中分别添加不同材料制备的生物炭(马尼拉草、阔叶和竹叶),热解温度为350℃,研究不同材料制备生物炭添加对土壤呼吸和有机碳含量的影响.结果表明：不同生物炭施入土壤后,土壤 CO 2释放速率总的趋势是前期分解速率快,后期缓慢.在整个培养过程中(28 d),随着培养时间的延长,土壤 CO 2释放速率下降趋势逐渐降低.在不同土壤培养条件下,均是添加阔叶生物炭后土壤 CO 2-C 累计释放增多,果园和菜地土壤 CO 2-C 累计分别达到482．57和424．72 mg·kg-1.添加不同的生物炭均能提高土壤有机碳含量,但只有添加阔叶生物炭之后,差异才会达到显著(P ＜0．05).研究结果为正确利用生物炭和评价其在土壤碳库作用提供科学依据.     

城市土壤碳循环与碳固持研究综述

城市化过程带来的土地利用变化和环境污染是全球变化的重要方面,城市为人们了解人类与自然复合生态系统对全球变化的影响及其对全球变化的响应过程提供一个独特的"天然实验室"。陆地生态系统碳循环是全球变化研究的热点领域之一,然而,人们对城市在全球碳循环中的作用和影响知之甚少,城市土壤碳循环研究处于起步阶段。介绍了城市土壤的主要特性和碳循环特征,指出强烈的人为作用是其最突出的特点;综述了城市土壤碳库、碳通量和碳固持研究方面取得的进展;探讨了城市化过程中土地利用变化、土壤中生物及土壤管护措施、城市小气候、大气污染沉降和土壤污染等对土壤碳循环的影响;提出未来城市碳循环研究需要开展长期系统监测、深化城市土壤碳循环机制研究、创新研究范式和研究方法、并将研究成果与城市景观规划与设计相结合,提升城市土壤碳管理能力。     

草地土壤固碳潜力研究进展

土壤固碳功能和固碳潜力已成为全球气候变化和陆地生态系统研究的重点。草地土壤有机碳库,作为陆地土壤有机碳库的重要组成部分,其较小幅度的波动,将会影响整个陆地生态系统碳循环,进而影响全球气候变化。因此,深入研究草地土壤固碳功能和固碳潜力对于适应和减缓气候变化具有重要意义。在土壤固碳潜力相关概念界定基础上,结合《2006年IPCC国家温室气体清单指南》,从样点及区域尺度上综述了目前关于草地土壤固碳潜力的一般估算方法,同时对各类方法的特点及适用性进行了评述,提出了草地生态系统固碳潜力研究概念模型。最后在对草地土壤固碳的影响因素及固碳措施总结的基础上,阐明了草地土壤有机碳固定研究中存在的问题和发展前景。     

Soil carbon sequestration potential of permanent pasture and continuous cropping soils in New Zealand

Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is important to develop strategies to increase the SOC stock and, thereby, offset some of the increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Although the capacity of soils to store SOC in a stable form is commonly attributed to the fine (clay + fine silt) fraction, the properties of the fine fraction that determine the SOC stabilization capacity are poorly known. The aim of this study was to develop an improved model to estimate the SOC stabilization capacity of Allophanic (Andisols) and non‐Allophanic topsoils (0–15 cm) and, as a case study, to apply the model to predict the sequestration potential of pastoral soils across New Zealand. A quantile (90th) regression model, based on the specific surface area and extractable aluminium (pyrophosphate) content of soils, provided the best prediction of the upper limit of fine fraction carbon (FFC) (i.e. the stabilization capacity), but with different coefficients for Allophanic and non‐Allophanic soils. The carbon (C) saturation deficit was estimated as the difference between the stabilization capacity of individual soils and their current C concentration. For long‐term pastures, the mean saturation deficit of Allophanic soils (20.3 mg C g^?1) was greater than that of non‐Allophanic soils (16.3 mg C g^?1). The saturation deficit of cropped soils was 1.14–1.89 times that of pasture soils. The sequestration potential of pasture soils ranged from 10 t C ha^?1 (Ultic soils) to 42 t C ha^?1 (Melanic soils). Although meeting the estimated national soil C sequestration potential (124 Mt C) is unrealistic, improved management practices targeted to those soils with the greatest sequestration potential could contribute significantly to off‐setting New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. As the first national‐scale estimate of SOC sequestration potential that encompasses both Allophanic and non‐Allophanic soils, this serves as an informative case study for the international community.     

中国草地土壤生态系统固碳现状和潜力

以国内长期定位试验的数据为基础,评价了我国草地生态系统的固碳现状和潜力.分析发现,通过减少畜牧承载量等方法恢复退化草地,我国草地土壤的有机碳库可以增加4561.62 Tg C ,主要分布在内蒙古、西藏和新疆.草场围栏、种草和退耕还草3种草地管理措施的固碳潜力分别是12.01、1.46 Tg·a-1和25.59 Tg·a-1,总计39.06 Tg·a-1.2004年是我国草地管理投资较多的年份,种草、退耕还草和草场围栏的工程面积均有较大的提高,3种措施新增的固碳能力分别为5.70、0.38 Tg·a-1和3.09 Tg·a-1,合计9.17 Tg·a-1.     

Current forest carbon stocks and carbon sequestration potential in Anhui Province,China

Aims
This study was conducted to investigate carbon stocks in forest ecosystems of different stand ages in Anhui Province, and to identify the carbon sequestration potential of climax forests controlled by the natural environment conditions.
Methods
Data were collected based on field investigations and simulations were made with the BIOME4 carbon cycle model.
Important findings
Currently, the total forest carbon stocks in Anhui Province amounts to 714.5 Tg C: 402.1 Tg C in vegetation and 312.4 Tg C in soil. Generally, both the total and vegetation carbon density exhibit an increasing trend with the natural growth of forest stands. Soil carbon density increases from young to near mature forests, and then gradually decreases thereafter. Young and middle-aged forests account for 75% of the total forest area in Anhui Province, with potentially an additional 125.4 Tg C to be gained after the young and middle-aged forests reach near mature stage. Results of BIOME4 simulations show that potentially an additional 245.7 Tg C, including 153.7 Tg C in vegetation and 92 Tg C in soil, could be gained if the current forests are transformed into climax forest ecosystems in Anhui Province.     

安徽省森林碳储量现状及固碳潜力

为阐明安徽省不同林龄的森林生态系统的碳储量现状, 以及现有自然环境条件下顶极森林生态系统的固碳潜力, 采用野外样地调查和BIOME4模型方法对此进行研究。安徽省森林生态系统的现状总碳储量为714.5 Tg C, 其中植被碳402.1 Tg C、土壤碳312.4 Tg C。从幼龄林至过熟林的生长过程中, 森林生态系统的总碳密度和植被碳密度都呈现增长趋势。但土壤碳密度从幼龄林至近熟林阶段呈增加趋势, 近熟林以后出现减少趋势。安徽省幼龄林和中龄林占森林总面积的75%, 若幼、中龄林发展到近熟林阶段, 将增加125.4 Tg C。BIOME4模拟显示: 当森林发展到气候顶极森林时, 安徽省森林生态系统将增加245.7 Tg C, 即总固碳潜力包括植被固碳153.7 Tg C, 土壤固碳92.0 Tg C。