Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment
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<sup>−1</sup> to compensate for GHG emissions, the ‘<i&...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/11/1190 |
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| author | Paola Duran María de la Luz Mora Francisco Matus Patricio Javier Barra Ignacio Jofré Yakov Kuzyakov Carolina Merino |
| author_facet | Paola Duran María de la Luz Mora Francisco Matus Patricio Javier Barra Ignacio Jofré Yakov Kuzyakov Carolina Merino |
| author_sort | Paola Duran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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<sup>−1</sup> to compensate for GHG emissions, the ‘<i>4 per 1000′</i> 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:41:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b92212908929486a910a0d4b0644ff50 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:41:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b92212908929486a910a0d4b0644ff502023-11-22T22:28:40ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372021-11-011011119010.3390/biology10111190Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New EnvironmentPaola Duran0María de la Luz Mora1Francisco Matus2Patricio Javier Barra3Ignacio Jofré4Yakov Kuzyakov5Carolina Merino6Biocontrol Research Laboratory, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileScientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileNetwork for Extreme Environmental Research (NEXER), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileBiocontrol Research Laboratory, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileLaboratory of Conservation and Dynamic of Volcanic Soils, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileDivision of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, GermanyScientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, ChileThe 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<sup>−1</sup> to compensate for GHG emissions, the ‘<i>4 per 1000′</i> 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/11/1190biocrust functionssoil microbiotaCO<sub>2</sub> mitigationgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissionscarbon balancemineral weathering |
| spellingShingle | Paola Duran María de la Luz Mora Francisco Matus Patricio Javier Barra Ignacio Jofré Yakov Kuzyakov Carolina Merino Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment Biology biocrust functions soil microbiota CO<sub>2</sub> mitigation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions carbon balance mineral weathering |
| title | Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment |
| title_full | Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment |
| title_fullStr | Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment |
| title_short | Biological Crusts to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration: New Challenges in a New Environment |
| title_sort | biological crusts to increase soil carbon sequestration new challenges in a new environment |
| topic | biocrust functions soil microbiota CO<sub>2</sub> mitigation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions carbon balance mineral weathering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/11/1190 |
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