Soil scientists estimate that the world’s cultivated soils have lost 50 to 70 percent
of their carbon. How? Unsustainable agricultural practices, including converting
forests to cropland, overplowing, overgrazing, and using chemical pesticides and
fertilizers all contribute to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
This also makes soils more susceptible to erosion and desertification. Are there
soil management practices that might change this and hold carbon in soils for
a longer period of time?
