Study Finds Increasing Plant Diversity Promotes Carbon Sequestration

A study carried out at the University of Helsinki demonstrates that boosting plant diversity in agriculture can increase plant biomass and improve plant–microbe interactions, both of which promote the storage of carbon in the soil. The study investigated whether increasing plant diversity through use of undersown species in field ecosystems can affect the structure and functioning of microbial communities to promote soil health and carbon sequestration. In this study, researchers grew barley in test plots either on its own or with one, two, four or eight undersown species. The researchers were surprised by how quickly soil microbes responded positively to plant diversity, even though barley was the dominant species in the test plots. “Our findings indicate that promoting plant diversity in agriculture could be an effective strategy for improving carbon sequestration of agricultural soils,” noted the project lead.