Impact of Soil Conservation Policies on Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils of the Central United States (The)

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of conservation policies on soil organic carbon in agricultural soils, the authors link information from the 1992 National Resources Inventory (NRI) database and the extensive physical data on soils and climate from the SOILS5 database. These data serve as input for a biophysical process model calibrated for the conditions prevalent in the study region. Results indicate that reducing soil erosion, rather than removing land from agricultural production, is the most effective way to increase carbon sequestration and enhance soil quality.