TRUESOIL: True Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration (Norway)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pose a challenge to the modern world and future generations. One possible strategy for climate change mitigation is enhancing soil carbon (C) sequestration by promoting C uptake from the atmosphere and storing it in the form of soil organic matter (SOM) to reduce increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. A pivotal process hypothesized to control soil organic C (SOC) sequestration is the soil microbial C pump, which is based on microbial decomposition of organic litter and the release of new organic substances. Part of the organic matter is lost in the form of CO2 during transformation, while another part is incorporated into microbial biomass and stored. These processes are in turn modulated by moisture levels intricately associated with both historic and recent rainfall patterns. Yet, understanding of these processes and the mechanisms controlling them is limited. At its core, we must study soil microbial communities that mediate C transformations. Exploring the mechanisms of the C cycle can lead to the development of novel sustainable techniques for land management that may reduce GHG emissions and improve soil fertility.