Soil carbon stock decreases in forests dominated by arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi and increases in those where ectomycorrhizal species dominate. Photo: Nicolas Raymond CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 GenericPhoto: Nicolas Raymond CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

This is how fungi regulate the carbon cycle in forests

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Chinese research highlights how different categories of mycorrhizal fungi record different nutrient uptake while impacting biomass and soil carbon
Soil conservation maximizes the potential of agriculture while limiting emissions. Photo: Matthias Ripp CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 GenericPhoto: Matthias Ripp CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

“Soil care is crucial to ensure food security”, WEF says

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To meet growing food demand while capturing proper volumes of greenhouse gases, soil health must be a priority, says the World Economic Forum. Precision agriculture is essential
Every year sand and dust storms bring 250 Great Pyramids of Giza into the atmosphere ©UN Photo/Blagoje Grujic ©UN Photo/Blagoje Grujic

Growing sandstorms. 25% are human-related

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UNCCD: The problem of sand and dust storms is exacerbated by poor land and water management, drought and climate change. Choosing the correct agricultural practices can stem them
Over the past 12,000 years, 2.7 billion tons of phosphorus have reportedly accumulated in lake sediments around the world. Photo: Pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredPhoto: Pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

The phosphorus problem started thousands of years ago

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A Swiss study found that humans began altering the phosphorus cycle many millennia ago. Before industrialization and the spread of fertilizers accelerated the process
A spreader unloads crushed metabasalt rock on a fallowed corn field in the Central Valley. Photo: Amy Quinton/ UC Davis, for media useAmy Quinton/ UC Davis, for media use

Crushed volcanic rock helps soil capture carbon

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A new study highlights the effectiveness of rock dust in aiding the process. Even under severe drought conditions
There are still nearly 377 million acres of intact grasslands in the Great Plains of North America. Photo: Ammchale CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 InternationalAmmchale CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Canada and U.S. have lost 130,000 km2 of grasslands in ten years

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According to WWF's latest study, in the past year, grasslands have ceded nearly 6,500 km2 of soil to conversion. With obvious consequences for carbon release
Soil temperature investigations have previously faced a lack of reliable data. Photo: Kris Lord CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 GenericPhoto: Kris Lord CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

Climate change intensifies extreme heat in the soil

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According to a German study, extreme heat events occur more frequently in the soil than in the air. Germany, France, Italy and central Europe are the most affected areas
Plant diversity assessment at a survey site in the prairies of the northwestern United States. Photo: Mary Ellyn DuPre / Press release (May be published without charge in articles about this press release.Mary Ellyn DuPre / Press release (May be published without charge in articles about this press release.

Declining biodiversity reduces carbon sequestration in grasslands

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A Swedish study shows that the soil carbon content of global grasslands increases with plant diversity and that this relationship is particularly strong in warm, arid climates
L'attività umana ha accelerato il tasso di estinzione naturale dei vertebrati di 22 volte. Foto: Pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required Learn more

In protected areas, the loss of biodiversity among vertebrates is reduced by five times

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Study from the US analyzed trends in vertebrate populations by measuring the effectiveness of land protection policies
Some soil bacteria can be particularly resilient during drought. Photo: PantheraLeo1359531 CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 InternationalPantheraLeo1359531 CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International

Some soil bacteria will adapt to climate change

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An Austrian study highlighted the behavior of soil bacteria during drought. "Simulating future climate conditions actually resulted in more bacteria remaining active despite drought," the authors explain

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