Carbon sequestration, as a biological process, refers to the capture and long-term storage of inorganic carbon, primarily in the form of atmospheric CO₂, into organic and inorganic carbon pools mediated by living organisms. In terrestrial ecosystems, plants, fungi, and microbes fix CO₂ via photosynthesis and chemoautotrophy, transferring carbon into biomass, soils, and stable humic substances. In aquatic systems, phytoplankton, macroalgae, and microbial communities incorporate CO₂ into organic matter, some of which is exported to deeper waters and sediments through the biological pump. Biological carbon sequestration regulates carbon cycling, ecosystem productivity, and contributes to the buffering of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.
A new study by researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University and international collaborators provides the most comprehensive evidence to date that biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from organic materials, plays a ...
Biotechnology
Oct 17, 2025
1
37
Peatlands are among the world's most important yet underappreciated ecosystems. They are a type of wetland that covers a small fraction of Earth's land, while containing the most carbon-rich soils in the world.
Earth Sciences
Oct 15, 2025
0
15
The trunks and branches of trees in Australia's tropical rainforests—also known as woody biomass—have become a net source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, according to a new international study.
Earth Sciences
Oct 15, 2025
0
54
A team of researchers, led by Cambridge University, has now formulated a method to assess whether carbon removal portfolios can help limit global warming over centuries. The approach also distinguishes between buying credits ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 15, 2025
0
29
A new study has challenged the long-standing assumption that global warming will inevitably turn humid subtropical forests into carbon sources, revealing these ecosystems may instead continue accumulating soil carbon under ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2025
0
31
Marine microalgae are vital drivers of Earth's carbon cycle, contributing approximately half of the planet's global primary production and sequestering tens of gigatons of carbon annually through photosynthesis. To survive ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 10, 2025
0
29
Most Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) forest carbon offset projects significantly overstate their climate benefits, according to a new study published in Science.
Environment
Oct 9, 2025
0
49
A tree can sequester quite a bit of carbon, and forests can sequester and store quite a bit more, but knowing exactly how much is important for many reasons, from planning and management decisions to assessing a forest's ...
Ecology
Oct 8, 2025
0
23
Antarctic krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures, are an important species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem and global carbon cycle, in part because of their poop. Their dense and rich fecal pellets sink rapidly, transporting carbon ...
Carbon is the chemical element found in the greenhouse gas CO₂ emitted from fossil fuels burned in cars, factories and other sources. When carbon is stored in the ocean instead of remaining in the atmosphere, it helps to ...
Ecology
Oct 7, 2025
0
22
