![]() Subsequently, some of this plant biomass is also indirectly sequestered as soil organic carbon (SOC) during decomposition processes. ![]() Direct carbon sequestration occurs in plants as they photosynthesize atmospheric CO 2 into biomass, which means it is stored in “sinks” instead of being released into Earth’s atmosphere. When carbon is sequestered directly in the soil, inorganic chemical reactions convert CO 2 into inorganic carbon compounds such as calcium and magnesium carbonates. ![]() The IPCC offers detailed guidance on the mitigating potential of carbon sequestration and storage interventions for the energy sector here. Non-biological processes are not detailed in this resource summary, which focuses on terrestrial and aquatic processes relevant to the conservation sector, but you can learn more about point source capture and geological storage processes here. By applying best management practices to existing systems additional carbon inputs can be stored through activities such as peat production, reforestation, and wetland restoration. You can learn more about global, national, and state emission trends from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center here. Today existing uptake mechanisms are insufficient to offset accelerating emissions – for example, USGS reports the United States emits about 1.6 gigatons (billion metric tons) of carbon but uptakes only about 0.5 gigatons, resulting in a net release of about 1.1 gigatons per year. Biological processes that occur in soils, wetlands, forests, oceans, and other ecosystems can store CO 2. These uptake mechanisms are sometimes called “carbon sinks.”īefore the dramatic increase in carbon emissions during the Industrial Revolution, global carbon cycle, or “carbon flux” maintained a near balance between uptake of CO 2 (sinks) and its release back into the atmosphere (sources). ![]() When inorganic CO 2 is sequestered directly by plants through photosynthesis or through chemical reactions in the soil, this process is often called “carbon fixation”. This process can be direct or indirect, and can be biological, chemical, geological, or physical in nature. “Carbon sequestration” describes the process of capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) in a stable state. ![]()
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