Rethinking the Land Carbon Sink: Observational Insights into Soils, Microbes and Forest Recovery

No próximo dia 28 de abril, às 14h00, o CFE recebe o Professor César Terrer (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), que irá falar sobre o papel dos solos, microrganismos e recuperação florestal no sequestro de carbono e na mitigação das alterações climáticas.

Resumo: The terrestrial carbon sink is a critical climate regulator, yet its primary drivers remain highly uncertain. While forest biomass is often the “obvious suspect,” emerging empirical evidence suggests a paradigm shift: the “missing sink” is largely belowground. In this talk, I present a global data-driven synthesis revealing that soils explain the bulk of historical land carbon uptake, a process governed by plant-microbe-nutrient interactions and mycorrhizal symbionts. I further explore how forest recovery dynamics—shaped by biotic agents such as seed dispersers and disturbances like wind—dictate long-term carbon storage. By integrating these overlooked biological and edaphic constraints, we can bridge critical gaps in carbon cycle models and better leverage ecosystems for climate mitigation.