Research
A study, involving a leading soil scientist from Lancaster University, has found that while removing livestock from upland grasslands can increase fast-cycling carbon stored in plants and dead vegetation, it can also lead to losses of a more stable form of soil carbon. This long-lived carbon, known as mineral-associated organic carbon, is bound to soil minerals and can persist for decades to centuries, making it critical for long-term climate mitigation.
Scientists from Lancaster Environment Centre have designed a new mobile research platform to track how carbon moves through UK farmland, in order to support more sustainable, climate-smart agriculture. The platform will be deployed across the UK’s diverse agricultural systems to track how different land management practices affect carbon storage, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions – critical information as the UK works towards its net zero goals.
