Abstract
The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past and to improve soil properties. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties (i.e., pollution). In this sense, what it is important is: (a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; (b) how this application alters the soil processes; (c) which are the management practices that should be applied; (d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; (e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.
Highlights
This review offers an overview about the close relationship between man and soil, considering organic matter
These include a wide variety of organic compounds related with many different mechanisms and processes involving all the soil fractions, and soil organic materials added by man
Irrespective of the climate debate and the poor results regarding with soil from the Conference of the Parties COP25 held in Madrid (2019), the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock must be restored, enhanced, and improved [13]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Our concern about organic matter nowadays is because soils play a major role in the global carbon cycle and the amount of SOC is determined by the balance between the rates of organic carbon input and output [2]. The carbon input is the sum of all organic carbon compounds added to the soil per unit of time (usually a year). According to the previous considerations, the accumulation of organic matter in the soil, especially in the topsoil (0–30 cm depth), is a desirable target for sustainability and to combat global warming.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
