Organic carbon loss in soils of arid ecosystems is faster than expected as a result of climate change

An international study led by the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA) of the CSIC, an agency under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), indicates that the organic carbon of soils in arid zones may be more vulnerable than expected to climate change.
The results, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Climate Change, suggest that the current global warming and the increase in aridity may lead to unforeseen losses of carbon stored in the soils of arid ecosystems around the planet and generate more CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere.
Research staff from six CSIC centres, including the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS), the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA), the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), the Biological Mission of Galicia (MBG) and the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), have been part of the scientific team that has studied arid zones around the planet. except Antarctica.
These ecosystems occupy almost half of the earth’s surface and their soils constitute a huge store of organic carbon that provides essential ecosystem services, such as food supply and water and climate regulation.

Continue reading news in We know