Why is soil carbon research so important?

Soil carbon research looks at pasture management and soil processes. As soil microbes consume organic matter, they help add carbon to the soil. So, for soil carbon to increase, land use needs to support a healthy soil microbiome.

The research at SERF is investigating the impact of grazing intensity and species diversity on soil carbon, water-use and production, and how these are impacted by drought. Automated greenhouse-gas chambers also collect other soil gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).

Together with the outputs from the flux tower, this data is used to predict the effects of agricultural management on soil carbon and productivity.