Forests store carbonecarbone. It is now known. What is less known is that soils themselves can similarly constitute a carbon sink, if they retain more carbon than they emit in the form of carbon dioxide (CO).2). Thus, agricultural land which, due to its often intensive exploitation, tends to emit CO2could play a major role in our strategies for mitigating anthropogenic global warming. Because today they account for 40% of the world’s surface area.
Biodiversity promotes interactions
To find ways to maximize carbon storage in soils, researchers from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) studied the interactions between plants and microbesmicrobes on an experimental site located in Finland. In the magazine Nature Communicationsthey explain how they compared performance in mattermatter of carbon storage when barley is grown alone or with up to eight other plant species. Including varieties that set thenitrogennitrogen and with deep roots selected for their potential to improve soil health.
The researchers analyzed microbial growth, soil respiration and community dynamics. All to follow the movementmovement carbon through the soil. “We found that greater plant diversity promoted stronger positive interactions between microbes in the area around plant roots, which ultimately improves community carbon use efficiency”explains Luiz Domignoz-Horta, lead author of the study, in a press release from the University of Zurich.
Biodiversity, good for yields and carbon storage
Plant biodiversity has also had the effect of increasing the production of biomassbiomass without reducing barley yields. Researchers recognize that the implementation of such biodiversity in theagricultureagriculture requires work. But this work would win twice. It would favor ecosystemsecosystems which would become healthier and more resilientresilientfor the benefit of the operator. And it would help store more carbon in the soil, doing its part in the fight against global warming.
