Science-Bai & Cotrufo (2022): Grassland soil carbon sequestration: Current understanding, challenges, and solutions

Yongfei Bai and M. Francesca Cotrufo IN: Science, Vol 377, Issue 6606, pp. 603-608; DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2380

Recent studies show that plant diversity increases soil organic carbon (SOC) storage by elevating carbon inputs to belowground biomass and promoting microbial necromass contribution to SOC storage. Improved grazing management and biodiversity restoration can provide low-cost and/or high-carbon-gain options for natural climate solutions in global grasslands. The achievable SOC sequestration potential in global grasslands is 2.3 to 7.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year (CO2e year−1) for biodiversity restoration, 148 to 699 megatons of CO2e year−1 for improved grazing management, and 147 megatons of CO2e year−1 for sown legumes in pasturelands.

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