Cattle and carbon: Storage of soil carbon in the Carolinas

Authors: Franzluebbers, Alan

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/2024
Publication Date: 10/6/2024
Citation: Franzluebbers, A.J. 2024. Cattle and carbon: Storage of soil carbon in the Carolinas. Popular Publication. Vol. 38, Issue 10, p. 30-31.

Interpretive Summary: Carbon is the dominant element in soil organic matter, comprising 58 percent of the mass of soil organic matter. An ARS scientist in Raleigh North Carolina described how carbon is distributed in soils of North and South Carolina. This article is the second of an educational series targeting cattle producers as the primary audience in the monthly Carolina Cattle Connection, a trade journal for the cattle industry in the Carolinas. This article described measurement units commonly used for describing soil organic matter. It also illustrated the non-linear distribution of soil organic carbon with depth commonly observed in the region. Summary data were presented for soil organic carbon concentration in three physiographic regions of North Carolina, that is the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge. Farmers were presented with some basic principles of carbon reactions in soil, as well as a summary of soil test results collected under managed grasslands in the region. The intent of this series of articles is to provide reliable information that can strengthen pasture management practices for the future.

Technical Abstract: Carbon is the dominant element in soil organic matter, comprising 58 percent of the mass of soil organic matter. An ARS scientist in Raleigh North Carolina described how carbon is distributed in soils of North and South Carolina. This article is the second of an educational series targeting cattle producers as the primary audience in the monthly Carolina Cattle Connection, a trade journal for the cattle industry in the Carolinas. This article described measurement units commonly used for describing soil organic matter. It also illustrated the non-linear distribution of soil organic carbon with depth commonly observed in the region. Summary data were presented for soil organic carbon concentration in three physiographic regions of North Carolina, that is the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge. Farmers were presented with some basic principles of carbon reactions in soil, as well as a summary of soil test results collected under managed grasslands in the region. The intent of this series of articles is to provide reliable information that can strengthen pasture management practices for the future.