Suboptimal water and nutrient availability are primary constraints in global agriculture. Root anatomy plays key roles in soil resource acquisition. In this article we summarize evidence that root anatomical phenotypes present opportunities for crop breeding.
ScopeRoot anatomical phenotypes influence soil resource acquisition by regulating the metabolic cost of soil exploration, exploitation of the rhizosphere, the penetration of hard soil domains, the axial and radial transport of water, and interactions with soil biota including mycorrhizal fungi, pathogens, insects, and the rhizosphere microbiome. For each of these topics we provide examples of anatomical phenotypes which merit attention as selection targets for crop improvement. Several cross-cutting issues are addressed including the importance of phenotypic plasticity, integrated phenotypes, C sequestration, in silico modeling, and novel methods to phenotype root anatomy including image analysis tools.
ConclusionsAn array of anatomical phenes have substantial importance for the acquisition of water and nutrients. Substantial phenotypic variation exists in crop germplasm. New tools and methods are making it easier to phenotype root anatomy, determine its genetic control, and understand its utility for plant fitness. Root anatomical phenotypes are underutilized yet attractive breeding targets for the development of the efficient, resilient crops urgently needed in global agriculture.
", "keywords": ["Carbon sequestration", "0106 biological sciences", "0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "Root; Anatomy; Water; Nutrients; Transport; Insects; Pathogens; Mycorrhiza; Carbon sequestration; Modeling; Image analysis; Plasticity", "Plasticity", "Modeling", "Water", "Transport", "Nutrients", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Image analysis", "Insects", "03 medical and health sciences", "Root", "Anatomy", "Pathogens", "Mycorrhiza"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05010-y"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20and%20Soil", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s11104-021-05010-y", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s11104-021-05010-y", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s11104-021-05010-y"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-07-07T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:14:47Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-04-22", "title": "The potential of cover crops to increase soil organic carbon storage in German croplands", "description": "Abstract AimsSoil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of croplands can be enhanced by targeted management, which boosts soil fertility and contributes to climate\uffc2\uffa0change mitigation. One SOC sequestration option is adopting cover crops. The aim of this study was to quantify the SOC sequestration potential of cover crops in Germany.
MethodsWe simulated SOC scenarios on 1,267 cropland sites with site-specific management data using an SOC model ensemble consisting of RothC and C-TOOL. A new method was developed to estimate carbon input from cover crops that included the effects of climate, sowing date and species on cover crop biomass production.
ResultsThe recent cover crop area could be tripled to 30% of arable land in Germany. This would enhance total carbon input by 12% and increase SOC stocks by 35 Tg within 50 years, corresponding to an annual increase of 0.06 Mg C ha-1, 2.5 Tg CO2 or 0.8 per mill of current SOC stocks in 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9330\uffc2\uffa0cm depth. On sites with cover crops, 0.28\uffe2\uff80\uff930.33 Mg C ha-1 a-1 would be accumulated within 50 years. Our simulations predicted that even if the full potential for cover crop growth were realised, there would still be a decline in SOC stocks in German croplands within 50 years due to the underlining negative SOC trend.
ConclusionsCover crops alone cannot turn croplands from carbon sources to sinks. However, growing them reduces bare fallow periods and SOC losses and thus is an effective climate change mitigation strategy in agriculture.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Research Article ; Carbon sequestration ; Modelling ; Carbon input ; Allometric function ; Climate change mitigation ; Environmental Sciences", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "7. Clean energy", "ddc:"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20and%20Soil", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s11104-022-05438-w"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-04-22T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s11104-022-05508-z", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:14:47Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-06-22", "title": "Harnessing belowground processes for sustainable intensification of agricultural systems", "description": "AbstractIncreasing food demand coupled with climate change pose a great challenge to agricultural systems. In this review we summarize recent advances in our knowledge of how plants, together with their associated microbiota, shape rhizosphere processes. We address (molecular) mechanisms operating at the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93microbe-soil interface and aim to link this knowledge with actual and potential avenues for intensifying agricultural systems, while at the same time reducing irrigation water, fertilizer inputs and pesticide use. Combining in-depth knowledge about above and belowground plant traits will not only significantly advance our mechanistic understanding of involved processes but also allow for more informed decisions regarding agricultural practices and plant breeding. Including belowground plant-soil-microbe interactions in our breeding efforts will help to select crops resilient to abiotic and biotic environmental stresses and ultimately enable us to produce sufficient food in a more sustainable agriculture in the upcoming decades. diversification and contribute to climate change mitigation. In this research, we evaluated the short-termeffect of alley
cropping with reduced tillage on soil CO2 and N2O emissions and soil total organic carbon (TOC) in an almond orchard
under Mediterranean rainfed conditions. We compared an almond monoculture with tillage in all plot surface (MC)
with almond crop with reduced tillage and growth of Capparis spinosa (D1) and almond crop with reduced tillage and
growth of Thymus hyemalis (D2). For two years, soil CO2 and N2O were measured, with soil sampling at the start and
end of the experimental period. Results showed that CO2 emission rates followed the soil temperature pattern, while
N2O emissions were not correlated with temperature nor moisture. Soil CO2 emissions were significantly higher in
MC(87mgm\u22122 h\u22121), with no significant differences between D1 and D2 (69mgm\u22122 h\u22121). Some peaks in CO2 effluxes
were observed after tillage operations during warm days. Soil N2Oemission rateswere not significantly different among
treatments. Cumulative CO2 and CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions were significantly highest in MC. When CO2e emissions
were expressed on a crop production basis, D2 showed the significantly lowest values (5080 g kg\u22121) compared to
D1 (50,419 g kg\u22121) and MC (87,836 g kg\u22121), owing to the high thyme yield, additional to the almond yield. No production
was obtained for C. spinosa, since at least two more years are required. TOC did not change with time in MCneither
D1, but it significantly increased inD2 from3.85 g kg\u22121 in 2019 to 4.62 g kg\u22121 in 2021. Thus, alley cropping can contribute
to increase the agroecosystem productivity and reduce CO2 emissions. However, it is necessary to grow", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Carbon Sequestration", "N2O emissions", "Nitrous Oxide", "Agriculture", "Thyme", "2511.08 Mec\u00e1nica de Suelos (Agricultura)", "Carbon Dioxide", "15. Life on land", "CO2 emissions", "Prunus dulcis", "12. Responsible consumption", "Edafolog\u00eda y Qu\u00edmica Agr\u00edcola", "Soil", "Intercropping", "13. Climate action", "5102.01 Agricultura", "Soil carbon sequestration", "Caper", "Fertilizers"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Science%20of%20The%20Total%20Environment", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.09.001", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2011-11-03", "title": "Soil Carbon Stock In The Tropical Rangelands Of Australia: Effects Of Soil Type And Grazing Pressure, And Determination Of Sampling Requirement", "description": "On-going, high-profile public debate about climate change has focussed attention on how to monitor the soil organic carbon stock (C(s)) of rangelands (savannas). Unfortunately, optimal sampling of the rangelands for baseline C(s) - the critical first step towards efficient monitoring - has received relatively little attention to date. Moreover, in the rangelands of tropical Australia relatively little is known about how C(s) is influenced by the practice of cattle grazing. To address these issues we used linear mixed models to: (i) unravel how grazing pressure (over a 12-year period) and soil type have affected C(s) and the stable carbon isotope ratio of soil organic carbon (delta(13)C) (a measure of the relative contributions of C(3) and C(4) vegetation to C(s)); (ii) examine the spatial covariation of C(s) and delta(13)C; and, (iii) explore the amount of soil sampling required to adequately determine baseline C(s). Modelling was done in the context of the material coordinate system for the soil profile, therefore the depths reported, while conventional, are only nominal. Linear mixed models revealed that soil type and grazing pressure interacted to influence C(s) to a depth of 0.3 m in the profile. At a depth of 0.5 m there was no effect of grazing on C(s), but the soil type effect on C(s) was significant. Soil type influenced delta(13)C to a soil depth of 0.5 m but there was no effect of grazing at any depth examined. The linear mixed model also revealed the strong negative correlation of C(s) with delta(13)C, particularly to a depth of 0.1 m in the soil profile. This suggested that increased C(s) at the study site was associated with increased input of C from C(3) trees and shrubs relative to the C(4) perennial grasses; as the latter form the bulk of the cattle diet, we contend that C sequestration may be negatively correlated with forage production. Our baseline C(s) sampling recommendation for cattle-grazing properties of the tropical rangelands of Australia is to: (i) divide the property into units of apparently uniform soil type and grazing management; (ii) use stratified simple random sampling to spread at least 25 soil sampling locations about each unit, with at least two samples collected per stratum. This will be adequate to accurately estimate baseline mean C(s) to within 20% of the true mean, to a nominal depth of 0.3 m in the profile.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Residual Maximum-Likelihood", "Bulk-Density", "550", "Agriculture and the environment", "Depth Functions", "Sequestration", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Vegetation Change", "Minimization", "Organic-Carbon", "Soil and crops. Soil-plant relationships. Soil productivity", "13. Climate action", "Savanna", "Rangelands", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Carbon stock", "Residual maximum likelihood (REML)", "Geostatistics", "Variability", "Sampling", "Rangelands. Range management. Grazing", "1111 Soil Science", "Model"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.09.001"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.09.001", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.09.001", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.09.001"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2011-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.004", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2016-01-13", "title": "Global patterns of the effects of land-use changes on soil carbon stocks", "description": "AbstractDespite hundreds of field studies and at least a dozen literature reviews, there is still considerable disagreement about the direction and magnitude of changes in soil C stocks with land use change. This paper reviews the literature on the effects of land use conversions on soil C stocks, based on a synthesis of 103 recent publications, including 160 sites in 29 countries, with the aims of determining the factors responsible for soil C sequestration and quantifying changes in soil C stocks from seven land use conversions. The results show that as an overall average across all land use change examined, land use conversions have significantly reduced soil C stocks (0.39 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121). Soil C stocks significantly increased after conversions from farmland to grassland (0.30 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121) and forest to grassland (0.68 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121), but significantly declined after conversion from grassland to farmland (0.89 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121), forest to farmland (1.74 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121), and forest to forest (0.63 Mg ha\u22121 yr\u22121). And after conversion from farmland to forest and grassland to forest, soil C stocks did not change significantly. Globally, soil C sequestration showed a significant negative correlation with initial soil C stocks (P<0.05), and the effects of climatic factors (mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation) on soil C sequestration varied between the land use conversion types. Also, the relationships between soil C sequestration and age since land use conversion varied in different land use change types. Generally, where the land use changes decreased soil C, the reverse process usually increased soil C stocks and vice versa. Soil C sequestration dynamics were not determined by age since land use conversion at the global level when all land use change types were combined.", "keywords": ["Farmland", "2. Zero hunger", "Land-use changes", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Forest", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Carbon sequestration rate", "Grassland", "Soil carbon"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.004"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Global%20Ecology%20and%20Conservation", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.004", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.004", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.004"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2016-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.12.017", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2011-02-01", "title": "Organic Matter Stabilization In Soil Aggregates: Understanding The Biogeochemical Mechanisms That Determine The Fate Of Carbon Inputs In Soils", "description": "Abstract We studied the biochemical and biophysical processes of carbon sequestration in an intensive agroforestry system on two soils (Feralsol \u2013 Luero; Arenosol \u2013 Teso) in W. Kenya to elucidate the mechanisms associated with long-term carbon storage. Specifically, we looked at a top-down model (macro-aggregates form around organic matter particles and micro-aggregates form within the macro-aggregates) and a bottom-up model (micro-aggregates form independently and are incorporated into macro-aggregates) of soil aggregate formation. Soil samples were collected from experiments on improved tree fallows using different species and two tillage treatments; water-stable aggregates were extracted and sorted into three size classes: macro-aggregates (>\u00a0212\u00a0\u03bcm), meso-aggregates (53\u2013212\u00a0\u03bcm) and micro-aggregates (20\u201353\u00a0\u03bcm). Organic matter characterization of each fraction was based on 13C isotope abundance, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the abundance of polysaccharides. Improved fallows increased soil C by 0.28 and 0.26\u00a0kg m\u00ad2 in the top 20\u00a0cm of the soil profile in Luero and Teso, respectively. Tillage altered the distribution of aggregates among size classes. Changes in the \u03b413C signature in each fraction indicated that more of the new carbon was found in the macro-aggregates (35\u201370%) and meso-aggregates (18\u201349%) in Luero and less (9\u201317%) was found in the micro-aggregates. In Teso, about 40\u201380% of the new aggregate C was found in the meso-aggregates, 14\u201345% was found in the micro-aggregates and only 4\u201326% was found in the macro-aggregates. The meso-aggregates and macro-aggregates to a lesser extent, in both sites, were enriched in carboxylic-C and aromatic-C, indicating the importance of OM decomposition and plant-derived C in the stabilization of larger aggregates, supporting the top-down model of aggregate formation. Microbially derived polysaccharides play a leading role in the formation of stable micro-aggregates and carboxylic-C promotes stabilization through surface occlusion. This bottom-up process is essential to promote long-term carbon sequestration in soils. Additionally, the micro-aggregates at both sites were enriched in polysaccharides and had elevated ratios of galactose + mannose:arabinose + xylose than the other aggregate fractions, indicating the importance of microbial processes in the formation of stable micro-aggregates and supporting the bottom-up model.", "keywords": ["Carbon sequestration", "2. Zero hunger", "Aggregates", "fallow", "C-13", "carbon", "Carbohydrates", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "540", "630", "6. Clean water", "soil", "Improved", "FTIR", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.12.017"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.12.017", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.12.017", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.12.017"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2011-03-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fenvs.2019.00131", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:19:01Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-09-11", "title": "Assessing the Climate Regulation Potential of Agricultural Soils Using a Decision Support Tool Adapted to Stakeholders' Needs and Possibilities", "description": "Open AccessSoils perform many functions that are vital to societies, among which their capability to regulate global climate has received much attention over the past decades. An assessment of the extent to which soils perform a specific function is not only important to appropriately value their current capacity, but also to make well-informed decisions about how and where to change soil management to align the delivered soil functions with societal demands. To obtain an overview of the capacity of soils to perform different functions, accurate and easy-to-use models are necessary. A problem with most currently-available models is that data requirements often exceed data availability, while generally a high level of expert knowledge is necessary to apply these models. Therefore, we developed a qualitative model to assess how agricultural soils function with respect to climate regulation. The model is driven by inputs about agricultural management practices, soil properties and environmental conditions. To reduce data requirements on stakeholders, the 17 input variables are classified into either (1) three classes: low, medium and high or (2) the presence or absence of a management practice. These inputs are combined using a decision tree with internal integration rules to obtain an estimate of the magnitude of N2O emissions and carbon sequestration. These two variables are subsequently combined into an estimate of the capacity of a soil to perform the climate regulation function. The model was tested using data from long-term field experiments across Europe. This showed that the model is generally able to adequately assess this soil function across a range of environments under different management practices. In a next step, this model will be combined with models to assess other soil functions (soil biodiversity, primary productivity, nutrient cycling and water regulation and purification). This will allow the assessment of trade-offs between these soil functions for agricultural land across Europe.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "N2O emissions", "agroecosystems", "qualitative decision modeling", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "climate regulation", "carbon sequestration", "Environmental sciences", "NO emissions", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "soil functions; climate regulation; carbon sequestration; N2O emissions; agroecosystems; qualitative decision modeling"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00131"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Environmental%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fenvs.2019.00131", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fenvs.2019.00131", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00131"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-09-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.020", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-05-22", "title": "Soil Extractable Carbon And Nitrogen, Microbial Biomass And Microbial Metabolic Activity In Response To Warming And Increased Precipitation In A Semiarid Inner Mongolian Grassland", "description": "Abstract Few studies have examined the long-term responses of soil labile organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and microbial activities to climate change in semiarid and arid regions. Here we investigated soil extractable organic carbon (EOC) and nitrogen (EON), microbial biomass and microbial metabolic activities at two depths of 0\u201310 and 10\u201320\u00a0cm in response to single and combined effects of warming and increased precipitation in a semiarid grassland of northern China since April 2005. Soil EOC and EON pools were measured using KCl and hot water extractions, and microbial metabolic activities were measured using MicroResp. Results showed that warming had no effects on EOC, EON and microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN) in the two extracts as well as the ratio of MBC to MBN at the two depths, but increased precipitation significantly increased MBC, MBN, EON and microbial quotient at the 0\u201310\u00a0cm depth. Warming significantly decreased microbial metabolic activities at both soil depths, but significantly increased microbial metabolic diversity (H) and evenness (E) at the 10\u201320\u00a0cm depth. Increased precipitation significantly decreased microbial metabolic activities, but significantly increased H and E at the two depths. Warming and increased precipitation significantly interacted to affect microbial metabolic activities at the two depths as well as H and E at the 10\u201320\u00a0cm depth. Redundancy analysis determined that microbial quotient, i.e., the ratio of MBC to total C, pH and NH 4 + \u2013N greatly accounted for the variances in the soil microbial metabolic profiles, but the ratio of EOC to EON, moisture and microbial quotient largely accounted for the variances in the soil microbial metabolic profiles specifically at the 10\u201320\u00a0cm depth, implying that microbial physiology such as microbial quotient rather than the amounts of labile organic C and N pools exerted more influence on driving the patterns of microbial metabolic profiles. Our results indicated that soil EOC and EON, microbial biomass and microbial metabolic activities at the two depths differentially responded to warming and increased precipitation in this semiarid region.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Agricultural", "570", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Environmental sciences", "Soil chemistry and soil carbon sequestration (excl. carbon sequestration science)", "Biological sciences", "Soil sciences", "veterinary and food sciences", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.020"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.020", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.020", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.020"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-09-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.025", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-07-31", "title": "Land Use And Management Effects On Soil Organic Matter Fractions In Rhodic Ferralsols And Haplic Arenosols In Bindura And Shamva Districts Of Zimbabwe", "description": "Abstract Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major attribute of soil quality that responds to land management activities which is also important in the regulation of global carbon (C) cycling. This study evaluated bulk soil C and nitrogen (N) contents and C and N dynamics in three soil organic matter (SOM) fractions separated by density. The study was based on three tillage systems on farmer managed experiments (conventional tillage (CT), ripping (RP), direct seeding (DS)) and adjacent natural forest (NF) in Haplic Arenosols (sandy) and Rhodic Ferralsols (clayey) of Zimbabwe. Carbon stocks were significantly larger in forests than tillage systems, being significantly lower in sandy soils (15 and 14\u00a0Mg\u00a0C\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01) than clayey soils (23 and 21\u00a0Mg\u00a0C\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01) at 0\u201310 and 10\u201330\u00a0cm respectively. Nitrogen content followed the same trend. At the 0\u201310\u00a0cm depth, SOC stocks increased under CT, RP and DS by 0.10, 0.24, 0.36\u00a0Mg\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01\u00a0yr\u2212\u00a01 and 0.76, 0.54, 0.10\u00a0Mg\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01\u00a0yr\u2212\u00a01 on sandy and clayey soils respectively over a four year period while N stocks decreased by 0.55, 0.40, 0.56\u00a0Mg\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01 and 0.63, 0.65, 0.55\u00a0Mg\u00a0ha\u2212\u00a01 respectively. SOM fractions were dominated by mineral associated heavy fraction (MaHF) which accounted for 86\u201393% and 94\u201398% on sandy and clayey soils respectively. Tillage systems on sandy soils had the smallest average free light fraction (fLF) and occluded light fraction (oLF) C stocks (25.3\u00a0\u00b1\u00a01.3 g m\u2212\u00a02 and 7.3\u00a0\u00b1\u00a01.2\u00a0g\u00a0m\u2212\u00a02) at 0\u201330\u00a0cm when compared with corresponding NF (58.4\u00a0\u00b1\u00a04 g\u00a0m2 and 18.5\u00a0\u00b1\u00a01.0\u00a0g\u00a0m\u2212\u00a02). Clayey soils, had the opposite, having all fLF C and N in tillage systems being higher (80.9\u00a0\u00b1\u00a012\u00a0g\u00a0C m\u2212\u00a02 and 2.7\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.4\u00a0g\u00a0N\u00a0m\u2212\u00a02) than NF (57.4\u00a0\u00b1\u00a02.0\u00a0g\u00a0C\u00a0m\u2212\u00a02 and 2.4\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.3\u00a0g\u00a0N\u00a0m\u2212\u00a02). Results suggest that oLF and MaHF C and N are better protected under DS and RP where they are less vulnerable to mineralisation while fLF contributes more in CT. Thus, DS and RP can be important in maintaining and improving soil quality although their practicability can be hampered by unsupportive institutional frameworks. Under prevailing climatic and management conditions, improvement of residue retention could be a major factor that can distinguish the potential of different management practices for C sequestration. The exploitation of the benefits of RP or DS and the corresponding sustainability of systems need support for surface cover retention which should also be extended to conventional tillage.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "pools", "microbial biomass", "assessment", "no-tillage", "dynamics", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "term changes", "carbon sequestration", "stabilization", "soil organic carbon", "conservation agriculture", "soil organic matter", "tillage", "impact", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "climate", "density fractions", "agriculture"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.025"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.025", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.025", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.025"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.02.010", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-24T16:15:41Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2016-02-19", "title": "Potential Of Grassland Rehabilitation Through High Density-Short Duration Grazing To Sequester Atmospheric Carbon", "description": "According to the World Resources Institute (2000), a relative increase of carbon (C) stocks in world soils by 0.4% per year would be sufficient to compensate all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Several land management practices such as the suppression of tillage in agroecosystems and livestock exclusion in grasslands had initially been thought to store more carbon into the soil, but recent research puts this into question. In a context where finding effective C sequestration methods is urgent, the main objective of this study was to assess the ability of an innovative grassland management practice based on high density and short duration (HDSD) grazing to sequester atmospheric C into soils. The study was performed in a degraded communal rangeland in South Africa where soil organic C (SOC) depletion ranged from 5 to 95% depending on the degradation level, which varied from non-degraded (ND; with grass above ground coverage, Cov of 100%), degraded (D1; 50 < Cov < 75%), D2 (25 < Cov < 50%) and HD (highly degraded: Cov < 5%). The ability of HDSD (1200 cows ha\u2212 1 for 3 days a year) to replenish SOC stocks was compared to four commonly used strategies: (1) livestock exclosure (E); (2) livestock exclosure with topsoil tillage (ET); (3) livestock exclosure with NPK fertilization (2:3:3, 22 at 0.2 t ha\u2212 1) (EF); (4) annual burning (AB); all treatments being compared to traditional free grazing control. A total of 540 soil samples were collected in the 0\u20130.05 m soil layer for all treatments and degradation intensities. After two years, topsoil SOC stocks were significantly increased under EF and HDSD, by an average of 33.4 \u00b1 0.5 and 12.4 \u00b1 2.1 g C m2 y\u2212 1, respectively. In contrast, AB reduced SOC stocks by 3.6 \u00b1 3.0 g C m2 y\u2212 1, while the impact of E and ET was not significant at P < 0.05. HDSD replenished SOC stocks the most at D1 and D2 (6.7 and 7.4% y\u2212 1) and this was explained by grass recovery, i.e. a significant increase in soil surface coverage by grass and grass production. HDSD is cost-effective, and thus has great potential to be widely adopted by smallholder farmers.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]", "Rehabilitation", "Sequestration", "[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Grassland", "01 natural sciences", "630", "Degradation", "Grazing", "13. Climate action", "Others", "Climate change", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.02.010"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.02.010", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.02.010", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.02.010"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=sequestration&offset=50&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=sequestration&offset=50&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "prev", "title": "items (prev)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=sequestration&offset=0", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "next", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (next)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=sequestration&offset=100", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 402, "numberReturned": 50, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-08-25T00:05:18.696526Z"}