Soil is the Earth’s largest terrestrial reservoir of carbon. Depending on land use and management approaches, it can function as either a source or a sink of atmospheric CO2. If implemented at scale, land management practices that enhance the sequestration capacity of soil, such as “no-till” and high cover crop farming techniques, hold the promise of not only slowing but also reducing present day and future net atmospheric carbon concentrations. As a consequence, “soil sequestration” has begun to assume a greater prominence in discussions concerning anthropogenic climate change and how best to confront it.

In agriculture, sequestering carbon in soil delivers many well-understood and immediate benefits in addition to potential emissions offsets. These include restored soil quality and ecosystem services; improved water and nutrient retention; reduced erosion and pollution; and increased agronomic productivity and food security.  

But what about cities? Indeed, vacant, marginal and planned green spaces are soil rich and make up a significant share of the contemporary urban environment. While less advanced in both theory and practice, the carbon sequestration potential of soil is now being studied and pioneered in urban settings throughout the world, including New York.

In this panel local soil scientists and practitioners will introduce key soil sequestration concepts; summarize emerging research findings; and provide an overview of urban restoration, compost incorporation and other methods that aim to increase urban soil carbon, while yielding additional pollution and waste reduction benefits.

– See more at: http://urbangreencouncil.org/content/events/capturing-carbon-urban-soil-whats-possible-cities#sthash.Ype8Fsul.GrQu4IV5.dpuf