Soils as an effective weapon against climate change

soils and carbon

Soils are capable of storing carbon that is in the atmosphere. Therefore, they can be a vitally important weapon in the fight against climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicated in World Soil Day, that increasing the role of the surface "could significantly offset the rapid increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

What effects can it have on soil on climate change?

Organic carbon distribution

soil carbon sequestration

When we talk about greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, we cannot ignore the fact that there are carbon sinks distributed all over the planet. We start with the plants. These are capable of retaining carbon during the photosynthesis process, therefore, all the carbon they use for it is not returned to the atmosphere.

On the other hand, we have the seabed. Carbon is introduced into them and fixed to the substrate, completely leaving the carbon cycle. This means that carbon cannot be re-incorporated into the atmosphere and, therefore, decreases the amount of carbon in it that can retain heat.

Finally, there are the floors. The floors of all the world are able to assimilate carbon that is in the atmosphere and convert it into nutrients for plants and organisms. Thanks to this, soils can be a good tool in the fight against climate change.

World carbon map

more productive soils

In order to know the areas of the world where the soils that absorb the most carbon are distributed, a map with their concentration has been made. To date the World Map of Soil Organic Carbon illustrates that the natural areas of the world that are capable of holding the most carbon must be protected.

Obviously, not all soils are capable of retaining the same amount of carbon. Depending on the type of soil and the conditions by which the soil is formed, some are capable of holding more than others. If those areas that are capable of retaining more carbon are protected against construction, agriculture, livestock or any type of activity that alters land use, it can be used as a weapon to reduce the effects of change climate.

It must be taken into account that, the less amount of greenhouse gases there is in the atmosphere, less heat retention. Furthermore, if thanks to the promotion of renewable energies, we reduce emissions, we will be attacking this phenomenon from two sides.

Effects of soil destruction

Due to the change in land uses and the destruction and degradation of one third of the world's soils, it has induced a huge amount of carbon that has been released into the atmosphere.

To alleviate this problem, soil restoration can help remove up to 63.000 tons of carbon from the atmosphere. This would contribute significantly to the fight against climate change. The aforementioned map was designed on the occasion of World Soil Day and indicates that worldwide the first 30 centimeters of the surface contain about 680.000 million tons of carbon, almost twice that present in the atmosphere.

60% of those tons It is found in Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Argentina, Kazakhstan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Therefore, measures must be implemented to protect those soils that are capable of retaining more carbon and avoid more emissions into the atmosphere.

A great advantage to take into account is that soils that are richer in carbon are more productive and capable of better purifying water, giving the plants optimal humidity conditions.

As you can see, soils are a good tool to reduce the effects of climate change and it is essential to promote their conservation.


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