These activities could include improved crop and grazing land management-for instance, more efficient fertilizer use to prevent the leaching of unused nitrates, tillage practices that minimize soil erosion, the restoration of organic soils, and the restoration of degraded lands. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), improved agricultural practices and forest-related mitigation activities can make a significant contribution to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at relatively low cost. Such activities could include afforestation (conversion of nonforested land to forest), reforestation (conversion of previously forested land to forest), improved forestry or agricultural practices, and revegetation. The Kyoto Protocol under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change allows countries to receive credits for their carbon-sequestration activities in the area of land use, land-use change, and forestry as part of their obligations under the protocol. ![]() Carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation Of the carbon emitted to the atmosphere by human activities, only 45 percent remains in the atmosphere about 30 percent is taken up by the oceans, and the remainder is incorporated into terrestrial ecosystems. The amount of carbon stored in the oceanic sink exceeds the amount in the atmosphere (about 760 gigatons). The oceans themselves also accumulate carbon, and the amount found just under the surface is roughly 920 gigatons. Globally, the total amount of carbon in vegetation, soil, and detritus is roughly 2,200 gigatons (1 gigaton = 1 billion tons), and it is estimated that the amount of carbon sequestered annually by terrestrial ecosystems is approximately 2.6 gigatons. If the terrestrial sink becomes a significant carbon source through increased combustion and decomposition, it has the potential to add large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere and oceans. Both processes join oxygen in the air with carbon stored in plant tissues to produce carbon dioxide gas. For example, combustion (which is caused by fires) or decomposition (which results from microbe activity) can cause the release of carbon stored in forests to the atmosphere. It is important to note that carbon sequestered in soils and aboveground vegetation could be released again to the atmosphere through land-use or climatic changes. ![]() Beyond the natural growth of plants, other terrestrial processes that sequester carbon include growth of replacement vegetation on cleared land, land-management practices that absorb carbon ( see below Carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation), and increased growth due to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and enhanced nitrogen deposition. Carbon is transferred naturally from the atmosphere to terrestrial carbon sinks through photosynthesis it may be stored in aboveground biomass as well as in soils. For example, deforestation is a source of carbon emission into the atmosphere, but forest regrowth is a form of carbon sequestration, with the forests themselves serving as carbon sinks. Reservoirs that retain carbon and keep it from entering Earth’s atmosphere are known as carbon sinks. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. ![]()
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