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.
New research from Michigan State University, led by agricultural systems scientist Bruno Basso, addresses a major problem in agricultural carbon markets: how to set an accurate starting point, or "baseline," for measuring ...
Biotechnology
Jul 15, 2025
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40
Adding lime to agricultural soils can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, rather than cause CO2 emissions, claims new research.
Ecology
Jul 9, 2025
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310
Agriculture is a major contributor to the climate crisis. Large agribusiness corporations are pursuing a range of agricultural innovations to increase carbon sequestration in soils. However, according to a study published ...
Ecology
Jul 9, 2025
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27
Forests are a crucial resource for carbon mitigation, currently offsetting around 20% of North American carbon emissions. As temperatures continue to rise, scientists are rushing to understand how climate change is affecting ...
At more than 470 times the atmospheric concentration of CO₂, a humble soil bacterium does something extraordinary: it turns gas into stone.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 8, 2025
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218
Some species of fig trees store calcium carbonate in their trunks—essentially turning themselves (partially) into stone, new research has found. The team of Kenyan, U.S., Austrian, and Swiss scientists found that the trees ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 7, 2025
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1873
Carbon credits are used by companies as a way to offset their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by investing in projects that reduce or sequester carbon. These carbon offsets are used in many industries where the ecological ...
Environment
Jul 2, 2025
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25
Young forests regrowing from land where mature woodlands have been cut down have a key role to play in removing billions of tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and combating climate change, a new study reveals.
Earth Sciences
Jul 2, 2025
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43
Scientists have discovered that changes in climate and water levels are reducing the ability of some ecosystems in the Everglades to sequester carbon, while the environmental shifts are enhancing the potential for carbon ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 30, 2025
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125
A new study has revealed that small but mighty zooplankton—including copepods, krill, and salps—are key players in the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb and store carbon.
Earth Sciences
Jun 27, 2025
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65
