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In a crucial new study from Cornell University, scientists have discovered that the microscopic lifeforms known as microbes significantly influence the amount of carbon stored in the soil, a discovery that carries profound implications for climate change mitigation and agricultural soil health enhancement.
Microbes, it turns out, are pivotal actors in the soil carbon cycle. The study authors have determined that microbial processes, in fact, are four times more critical to carbon storage than any other process, including biomatter decomposition. This finding is particularly crucial because our planet’s soil holds three times more carbon than the atmosphere, acting as a crucial carbon sink in our fight against climate change.
Published in the journal Nature, the research introduces an innovative technique to delve into the intricacies of soil carbon dynamics. The method marries a microbial computer model with data assimilation and machine learning to meticulously analyze big data linked to the carbon cycle.
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