**7. Strategies of increasing carbon stock in soils**

There are proven practices and strategies that lead to increase in soil carbon stock in different terrestrial ecosystems. Most of these strategies increases the carbon stock in biomass through photosynthesis and indirectly builds up below ground and soil carbon through increased deposition of organic matter. According to Post and Kwon in 2000, organic carbon level of soil can be improved by increasing the amount of organic matter input, changing the decomposability of organic matter, placing organic matter in deep layer and enhancing better physical protection of the soil aggregates or formation of organo-mineral complexes [14].

In the forest ecosystem, the following have been widely reported.


In the agricultural ecosystem, some strategies that enhance carbon capture and storage in the soil include:


**iii.** Slow, stable or humus pool: carbon held in this pool has long turnover time due to slow rate of decomposition. The residence time typically ranges from 1 year to a

**d.** *Permanence*: another challenge of carbon sequestration in soil is non-permanence of the sequestered carbon as it can be released back to the atmosphere as easily as it is gained as a result of decomposition or mineralization. It is for this reason that sequestered carbon is considered a short-term option for removing carbon from the atmosphere. The rate of

**e.** *Separation*: it is very difficult to isolate and differentiate the portion of carbon sequestered in the soil as result of management activities or land use and that which occurred naturally. The principle of separation requires that the carbon sequestered or GHGs emission prevented as a result of management intervention be distinguished from that which would have occurred due to natural causes. Methods are therefore needed that can differentiate

naturally sequestered carbon from that captured due to human management [39].

There are proven practices and strategies that lead to increase in soil carbon stock in different terrestrial ecosystems. Most of these strategies increases the carbon stock in biomass through photosynthesis and indirectly builds up below ground and soil carbon through increased deposition of organic matter. According to Post and Kwon in 2000, organic carbon level of soil can be improved by increasing the amount of organic matter input, changing the decomposability of organic matter, placing organic matter in deep layer and enhancing better physical

• Increasing the carbon stock of existing forests using several silvilcultural techniques among

In the agricultural ecosystem, some strategies that enhance carbon capture and storage in the

protection of the soil aggregates or formation of organo-mineral complexes [14].

In the forest ecosystem, the following have been widely reported.

**7. Strategies of increasing carbon stock in soils**

carbon loss depends on several climatic, land use and management factors.

decade.

10 Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration

• Afforestation • Reforestation

• Natural regeneration • Enrichment planting

others [40–43].

• Manuring and fertilizing

• Conservation tillage (minimum, zero/no-till)

soil include:

• Reduced impact logging (RIL)
