<p> The Earth's soils could store an extra 8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases which may help limit the effect of climate change, according to a new study.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Adopting the latest technologies and sustainable land use practices on a global scale could allow more emissions to be stored in farmland and natural wild spaces, according to scientists including researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh in the UK.<br /><br />Growing crops with deeper root systems, using charcoal-based composts and applying sustainable agriculture practices could help soils retain the equivalent of around four-fifths of annual emissions released by the burning of fossils fuels, they said.<br /><br />The role that soils could play in efforts to combat climate change has until now been largely overlooked, owing to a lack of effective monitoring tools, researchers said.<br /><br />Recent advances in technology have enabled researchers to work out their full potential.<br />Coordinated efforts involving scientists, policymakers and land users are key to achieving any meaningful increase in soil storage of greenhouse gases.<br /><br />Resources should be provided to help reduce the environmental impact of farms, researchers said.<br /><br />Community-based initiatives would help to overcome cultural barriers, funding issues and monitoring challenges to achieve a global increase in soil uptake, they suggest.<br /><br />Previous research shows that soils currently lock away around 2.4 trillion tonnes of greenhouse gases, which are stored underground as stable organic matter.<br /><br />"Soils are already huge stores of carbon, and improved management can make them even bigger," said Dave Reay from the University of Edinburgh.<br /><br />"With the surge in availability of 'big data' on soils around the world, alongside rapid improvements in understanding and modelling, the time has come for this big-hitter to enter the ring," said Reay.<br /><br />"It is difficult to easily measure changes in soil carbon as changes are slow and we are trying to measure a small change against a large background," said Pete Smith from the University of Aberdeen.<br /><br />The findings were published in the journal Nature.</p>
<p> The Earth's soils could store an extra 8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases which may help limit the effect of climate change, according to a new study.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Adopting the latest technologies and sustainable land use practices on a global scale could allow more emissions to be stored in farmland and natural wild spaces, according to scientists including researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh in the UK.<br /><br />Growing crops with deeper root systems, using charcoal-based composts and applying sustainable agriculture practices could help soils retain the equivalent of around four-fifths of annual emissions released by the burning of fossils fuels, they said.<br /><br />The role that soils could play in efforts to combat climate change has until now been largely overlooked, owing to a lack of effective monitoring tools, researchers said.<br /><br />Recent advances in technology have enabled researchers to work out their full potential.<br />Coordinated efforts involving scientists, policymakers and land users are key to achieving any meaningful increase in soil storage of greenhouse gases.<br /><br />Resources should be provided to help reduce the environmental impact of farms, researchers said.<br /><br />Community-based initiatives would help to overcome cultural barriers, funding issues and monitoring challenges to achieve a global increase in soil uptake, they suggest.<br /><br />Previous research shows that soils currently lock away around 2.4 trillion tonnes of greenhouse gases, which are stored underground as stable organic matter.<br /><br />"Soils are already huge stores of carbon, and improved management can make them even bigger," said Dave Reay from the University of Edinburgh.<br /><br />"With the surge in availability of 'big data' on soils around the world, alongside rapid improvements in understanding and modelling, the time has come for this big-hitter to enter the ring," said Reay.<br /><br />"It is difficult to easily measure changes in soil carbon as changes are slow and we are trying to measure a small change against a large background," said Pete Smith from the University of Aberdeen.<br /><br />The findings were published in the journal Nature.</p>