Abstract
According to the IPCC, global temperatures are expected to increase between 1.1 and 6.4 °C during the 21st century and precipitation patterns will be altered. Soils are intricately linked to the atmospheric/climate system through the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic cycles. Because of this, altered climate will have an effect on soil processes and properties. Recent studies indicate at least some soils may become net sources of atmospheric C, lowering soil organic matter levels. Soil erosion by wind and water is also likely to increase. However, there are many things we need to know more about. How climate change will affect the N cycle and, in turn, how that will affect C storage in soils is a major research need, as is a better understanding of how erosion processes will be influenced by changes in climate. The response of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 given limitations in nutrients like N and P, and how that will influence soil organic matter levels, is another critical research need. How soil organic matter levels react to changes in the C and N cycles will influence the ability of soils to support crop growth, which has significant ramifications for food security. Therefore, further study of soil-climate interactions in a changing world is critical to addressing future food security concerns.
Highlights
The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that the average global temperature will probably rise between 1.1 and 6.4 °C by 2090–2099 as compared to1980–1999 temperatures, with the most likely rise being between 1.8 and 4.0 °C (Figure 1) [1]
This paper will focus on what we know about soil-climate interactions with a particular focus on the C and N cycles, how climate change may alter soil properties and processes, and what that might mean for soil erosion and food security in the future
Cycles and C and N are both important components of soil organic matter, the organic matter content of soils will be influenced by climate change
Summary
The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that the average global temperature will probably rise between 1.1 and 6.4 °C by 2090–2099 as compared to. Agriculture 2013, 3 change will influence global precipitation patterns, altering both the amount of precipitation received and the distribution of precipitation over the course of an average year in many locations (Figure 2) [1]. With this change in climate there will be effects on the environment, including the soil [2]. Figure from the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [1]
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