Management practices to reduce losses or increase soil carbon stocks in temperate grazed grasslands: New Zealand as a case study

摘要

Even small increases in the large pool of soil organic carbon could result in large reductions in atmospheric CO2 concentrations sufficient to limit global warming below the threshold of 2 degrees C required for climate stability. Globally, grasslands occupy 70% of the world's agricultural area, so interventions to farm management practices to reduce losses or increase soil carbon stocks in grassland are highly relevant. Here, we review the literature with particular emphasis on New Zealand and report on the effects of management practices on changes in soil carbon stocks for temperate grazed grasslands. We include findings from models that explore the trade-offs between multiple desirable outcomes, such as increasing soil carbon stocks and milk production.