Preprint Article Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Biotic Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Stock: What We Had & What We Lost

Robert Blakemore
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Version 1 : Received: 13 December 2022 / Approved: 14 December 2022 / Online: 14 December 2022 (14:02:26 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 10 April 2023 / Approved: 11 April 2023 / Online: 11 April 2023 (11:32:38 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Blakemore. (2023). Biotic SOC Stock: What We Had & What We Lost. Veop, 6, 1–59. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7825446 Blakemore. (2023). Biotic SOC Stock: What We Had & What We Lost. Veop, 6, 1–59. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7825446

Abstract

Land’s basic metric is soil organic carbon (SOC) yet global estimates range 1,417–15,000 Gt C. Erosion of ancient topsoil and loss of soil taxa are most urgent of all context-triage concerns, and most ignored. Re-evaluation of topographical terrain on a non-flat Earth increases most soil dynamic inventories. Carbon credits of our neglected and disappearing SOC stocks are enumerated for mineral soils (~4,100 Gt C plus ca. 20–30% glomalin), Permafrost (>4,200 Gt C), peat (1,123 Gt C), plant roots (916 Gt C), litter (600 Gt C), microbes (200 Gt C), fungi (30 Gt C), biocrust (10–20 Gt C), earthworms (2.3–3.6 Gt C), termites (0.15 Gt C), nematodes (0.06 Gt C), ants (0.024 Gt C), and soil viruses (0.02–4.0 Gt C). Net contribution to atmospheric CO2 is more from biotic topsoil loss (>10 Gt C/yr) than fossil fuels (<10 Gt C/yr). Although higher CO2 results in a terrestrial greening effect with Net Primary Productivity (NPP) now ~220 Gt C/yr (cf. ~20 Gt C/yr Ocean NPP), this is arguably offset by topsoil erosion, desert expansion, plus fire at net ~16–20 Gt C/yr lost due, in part, to extravagant meat-eating with unsupportable, humus-depleting farm management. In particular, excess synthetic Nitrogen acidifies topsoil and destroys the natural SOC biota. Review shows critical topsoil loss up to 20,000 tonnes per second and, when soil microbes/invertebrates are properly considered, extinctions as high as 23 taxa per second. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fail without solid soil foundation. Rather, heritage farm-data points to resolution in organic husbandry. Remedy via natural vermi-compost, 100% organic farming and practical Permaculture is under a simple premise that the Problem (i.e., SOC loss) is the Solution (viz., SOC restoration).

Keywords

Humus; soil biota; organic soil carbon; atmospheric CO2; carbon credits and deficits

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Ecology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 11 April 2023
Commenter: Robert Blakemore
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author
Comment: Whole paper checked for minor spelling or other errors and omissions. Several more recent references added. Manuscript now divided into four logical sections followed by Conclusions.
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