Importance of Carbon Sequestration in the Context of Climate Change

Terrestrial carbon (C), the main reservoir of soil C, is continuously depleting due to easily decomposable C sources and improper agricultural practices. The continuous depletion of soil C has implications on climate change effects, which is a major global issue. In this chapter, we discussed the importance of C sequestration in the context of climate change, and proposed management practices to curtail the depletion of terrestrial C. Soil C sequestration is routinely defined as the persistent increase in C contents in the soil, and this can be achieved through two major pathways: (a) practices that reduce soil C depletion and (b) the addition of C sources to the soil. Therefore, stable C sources like biochar and improved agricultural practices, such as conservation tillage, could help to reduce CO2 emission into the atmosphere. In addition to biochar and conservation tillage, increased biomass production, agroforestry, deep-rooted crops, improved pastures, residue management, optimal fertilizer application, and crop rotation could help maintain a high C balance in soils and induce negative efflux of CO2. The accurate measurement of soil C change over time is important to determine the effectiveness of different management practices on soil C sequestration. Despite the countless benefits of C sequestration, there are some limitations, especially the economic feasibility of certain management practices, water and nutrient requirements, as well as climate and site-specific conditions. Moreover, the effectiveness of different C sequestration practices varies with soil type and ecosystems. Carbon sequestration holds promise to mitigate global warming and prevent the adverse impacts of climate change, but the implementation of management practices must be tailored to different ecosystems and it must not be cost-prohibitive.