Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment

Biology

Paola Duran¹  Patricio Javier Barra¹  Yakov Kuzyakov²  Ignacio Jofré³  Francisco Matus⁴  María de la Luz Mora⁵  Carolina Merino⁵ 

[1] Biocontrol Research Laboratory, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile;Division of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;Laboratory of Conservation and Dynamic of Volcanic Soils, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile;Network for Extreme Environmental Research (NEXER), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile;Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile;

关键词: biocrust functions;    soil microbiota;    CO₂ mitigation;    greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;    carbon balance;    mineral weathering;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biology10111190

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The major priority of research in the present day is to conserve the environment by reducing GHG emissions. A proposed solution by an expert panel from 195 countries meeting at COP 21 was to increase global SOC stocks by 0.4% year⁻¹ to compensate for GHG emissions, the ‘4 per 1000′ agreement. In this context, the application of biocrusts is a promising framework with which to increase SOC and other soil functions in the soil–plant continuum. Despite the importance of biocrusts, their application to agriculture is limited due to: (1) competition with native microbiota, (2) difficulties in applying them on a large scale, (3) a lack of studies based on carbon (C) balance and suitable for model parameterization, and (4) a lack of studies evaluating the contribution of biocrust weathering to increase C sequestration. Considering these four challenges, we propose three perspectives for biocrust application: (1) natural microbiome engineering by a host plant, using biocrusts; (2) quantifying the contribution of biocrusts to C sequestration in soils; and (3) enhanced biocrust weathering to improve C sequestration. Thus, we focus this opinion article on new challenges by using the specialized microbiome of biocrusts to be applied in a new environment to counteract the negative effects of climate change.

【 授权许可】

Unknown