Ensuring planetary survival: the centrality of organic carbon in balancing the multifunctional nature of soils

P.M. Kopittke; A.A. Berhe; Y. Carrillo; T.R. Cavagnaro; D. Chen; Q-L Chen; M. Román Dobarco; F.A. Dijkstra; D.J. Field; M.J. Grundy; J-Z He; F.C. Hoyle; I. Kögel-Knabner; S.K. Lam; P. Marschner; C. Martinez; A.B. McBratney; E. McDonald-Madden; N.W. Menzies; L.M. Mosley; C.W. Mueller; D.V. Murphy; U.N. Nielsen; A.G. O’Donnell; E. Pendall; J. Pett-Ridge; C. Rumpel; I.M. Young; B. Minasny

doi:10.1080/10643389.2021.2024484

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Ensuring planetary survival: the centrality of organic carbon in balancing the multifunctional nature of soils

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Ensuring planetary survival: the centrality of organic carbon in balancing the multifunctional nature of soils

P.M. Kopittke, A.A. Berhe, Y. Carrillo, T.R. Cavagnaro, D. Chen, Q-L Chen, M. Román Dobarco, F.A. Dijkstra, D.J. Field, M.J. Grundy, …

Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, pp.1-17

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2021.2024484

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Abstract

Not only do soils provide 98.7% of the calories consumed by humans, they also provide numerous other functions upon which planetary survivability closely depends. However, our continuously increasing focus on soils for biomass provision (food, fiber, and energy) through intensive agriculture is rapidly degrading soils and diminishing their capacity to deliver other vital functions. These tradeoffs in soil functionality – the increased provision of one function at the expense of other critical planetary functions – are the focus of this review. We examine how land-use change for biomass provision has decreased the ability of soils to regulate the carbon pool and thereby contribute profoundly to climate change, to cycle the nutrients that sustain plant growth and ecosystem health, to protect the soil biodiversity upon which many other functions depend, and to cycle the Earth’s freshwater supplies. We also examine how this decreasing ability of soil to provide these other functions can be halted and reversed. Despite the complexity and the interconnectedness of soil functions, we show that soil organic carbon plays a central role and is a master indicator for soil functioning and that we require a better understanding of the factors controlling the behavior and persistence of C in soils. Given the threats facing humanity and their economies, it is imperative that we recognize that Soil Security is itself an existential challenge and that we need to increase our focus on the multiple functions of soils for long-term human welfare and survivability of the planet.

Details

Title: Ensuring planetary survival: the centrality of organic carbon in balancing the multifunctional nature of soils
Authors/Creators: P.M. Kopittke (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
A.A. Berhe (Author/Creator) - University of California, Merced
Y. Carrillo (Author/Creator) - Western Sydney University
T.R. Cavagnaro (Author/Creator) - The University of Adelaide
D. Chen (Author/Creator) - The University of Melbourne
Q-L Chen (Author/Creator) - The University of Melbourne
M. Román Dobarco (Author/Creator)
F.A. Dijkstra (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
D.J. Field (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
M.J. Grundy (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
J-Z He (Author/Creator) - The University of Melbourne
F.C. Hoyle (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
I. Kögel-Knabner (Author/Creator) - TUM Institute for Advanced Study
S.K. Lam (Author/Creator) - The University of Melbourne
P. Marschner (Author/Creator) - The University of Adelaide
C. Martinez (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
A.B. McBratney (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
E. McDonald-Madden (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
N.W. Menzies (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
L.M. Mosley (Author/Creator) - The University of Adelaide
C.W. Mueller (Author/Creator) - University of Copenhagen
D.V. Murphy (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
U.N. Nielsen (Author/Creator) - Western Sydney University
A.G. O’Donnell (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
E. Pendall (Author/Creator) - Western Sydney University
J. Pett-Ridge (Author/Creator) - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
C. Rumpel (Author/Creator) - Sorbonne Université
I.M. Young (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
B. Minasny (Author/Creator) - The University of Sydney
Publication Details: Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, pp.1-17
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Identifiers: 991005542681007891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems; Food Futures Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.45 Soil Science; 3.45.112 Soil Carbon Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology