What is Total Carbon?
The Carbon Cycle. Photo Credit: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate-education-resources/carbon-cycle
Total organic C is the portion of soil organic matter made up of organic C. Measurement is usually via high-temperature soil combustion. This property is of widespread interest due to the potential of the soil to sequester C that would otherwise contribute to climate change as CO2 in the atmosphere, as well as the importance of soil organic matter to local soil fertility. See soil organic matter and Active Carbon for more details.
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| Title | Source | Resource type and Date | Short Summary / Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil Carbon Loss Proportional to Tillage Intensity | No-Till Farmer | News Article
Aug 2019 |
This article, featuring research from a retired USDA-ARS soil scientist, describes the soil carbon losses after varying tillage intensity in Minnesota, showing that increasing disturbance caused greater soil carbon losses. |
| Understanding and Perfecting Conservation Agriculture and Carbon Management in Your No-Till Operation | No-Till Farmer | Video
Feb 2019 |
Don Reicosky, retired soil scientist for the USDA-ARS in Morris, Minn., outlines the connection between conservation agriculture and soil health principles that are elevating the importance of carbon management. |
| Total Organic Carbon | Soilquality.org – NRCS & others | Webpage
Sep 2011 |
Soil organic carbon is made up of a number of different pools that vary in their chemical composition and stage of decomposition. |
| Soil Quality Indicators: Total organic carbon | USDA | NRCS Fact Sheet
Oct 2009 |
Total organic carbon (TOC) is the carbon (C) stored in soil organic matter (SOM). Organic carbon (OC) enters the soil through the decomposition of plant and animal residues, root exudates, living and dead microorganisms, and soil biota. |
| Soil Organic Carbon Cycle | Michigan State University | Extension Fact Sheet
Aug 2018 |
Fact sheet about soil organic carbon and a handout for use with the video: CSCAP 0121 2012 VIDEO. |
| Title | Source | Resource type and date | Short Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Carbon Pools – Queensland | SoilQuality.org.au | Fact Sheet
Not Dated |
Soil organic carbon is made up of a number of different pools that vary in their chemical composition and stage of decomposition. |
| Title | Source | Resource type and Date | Short Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding changes in soil organic carbon | Purdue University | Research Report
May 2019 |
Describes research from a watershed study site within the NSF-funded Intensively Managed Landscapes Critical Zone Observatory. The results show that in this setting, physical transport rather than biogeochemical transformation is the dominant driver affecting both the below-ground profile as well as the stocks of SOC. |
| The Sanborn Field Experiment: Implications for Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Levels | American Society of Agronomy | Peer-Reviewed Publication
Jan 2011 |
It appears that an equilibrium level of SOC for some cropping systems takes about 30 to 40 yr to develop. Initial active carbon (AC) content assessment as a proxy for soil quality shows greater AC with manure and higher input management systems. The AC had a wide seasonal flux within a growing season as a function of temperature and moisture fluxes on microbial activity. |
| Soil carbon 4 per mille | Geoderma | Peer-Reviewed Publication
Apr 2017 |
A paper suggesting an aspirational global goal of increasing soil organic C at 4 per mille per year, and describing how different regions of the world might adjust agricultural management to attain this goal. |
| MCSE: Soil C and N | Michigan State University | Research / Extension Protocol
2001 |
Protocol to measure soil C and N. |
| Total Carbonates in Soil | Michigan State University | Research / Extension Protocol
Not Dated |
Protocol to measure soil carbon. The total carbon content of soils can include inorganic carbonates as well as organic carbon, and inorganic carbonates can interfere in the measurement of organic carbon using elemental analyzers. |
Last reviewed October 22, 2019