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By Jackie Swift
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Department of Global Development
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Soil
  • Environment
  • Planet
  • Climate Change
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Why is there more carbon in soil than in the atmosphere and all plants combined? Johannes Lehmann turns soil science on its head with the answer.

Johannes Lehmann, School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences, is leading a revolution. Over the past two decades, he has been instrumental in overturning a long-held scientific belief regarding the fundamental nature of soil, while at the same time exploring innovative ways to mitigate climate change.

Read the full article published by Cornell Research.

Learn more about Lehmann's new model for evaluating carbon storage in soil.

Header image: Johannes Lehmann, professor of soil science, holds biochar made in Cornell's pyrolysis kiln. Photo: Allison Usavage.

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Soil carbon usually refers only to the organic matter component of soils, known as soil organic carbon (SOC). However, soil carbon also has an inorganic component, known as soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Solid SIC, often calcium carbonate, tends to accumulate more in arid regions with infertile soils, which has led many to believe it is not important. In a study published in Science, researchers led by Prof. HUANG Yuanyuan from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Prof. ZHANG Ganlin from the Institute of Soil Science of CAS, together with collaborators, have quantified the global store of SIC, challenging this long-held view.
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