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CSIRO Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture key findings
This report 'Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture' includes a review of the process by which carbon is captured and stored in agricultural soils and an analysis of the current evidence for changes in soil organic carbon stocks resulting from agricultural land use changes.
27 May 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011 C ollecting soil samples in a perennial pasture near Albany, Western Australia.

Introduction
Page 1 of 3 Interest in soil carbon sequestration and other carbon offsets has increased in Australia and internationally as policy makers debate and try to design systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Managed agricultural soils in particular, represent a potentially significant low cost sink for greenhouse gases with multiple potential co-benefits for farm productivity and profitability. However there are still many uncertainties and barriers to effective policy implementation. This report aims to address some of the uncertainties through: a review of the mechanisms of carbon capture in soils, discussion of the difficulties in accurately measuring change in soil carbon levels, and an analysis of the theoretical and field evidence basis for sequestration due to agricultural management changes. Download the report at: Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture report.

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Fast facts
Australian cropping lands are, on average, still losing soil carbon Adoption of many carbon friendly farming practices can mitigate soil carbon losses resulting in avoided emissions relative to business-as-usual Relative gains in soil carbon of 0.1 0.3 tonnes carbon per ha per year were found for most improved management options within existing agricultural systems Larger soil carbon gains are possible for major shifts in land management such as conversion from cropping to permanent pasture and retirement/restoration of land

Contact Information
Dr Jonathan Sanderman (BSc PhD) Research Scientist Phone: +61 8 8273 8135 Email: Jonathan.Sanderman@csiro.au Mr Roger Nicoll Communication Manager Ecosystem Sciences Phone: +61 2 6246 4040 Alt Phone: +61 4 0421 3801 Email: roger.nicoll@csiro.au

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