Re:A soil-science revolution upends plans to fight climate c...
by beerandt on Tuesday July 27, 2021 @04:14PM
(#27977037)
This is being used beneficially at some superfund sites- they basically wait for some natural microbe to emerge that neutralizes or otherwise treats the prevailing contaminant, sample it, figure out how to maximize it's metabolism, then devise a way to assist the in situ conditions to become ideal. Maybe some wells, pumps, plants, or chemicals are installed/introduced, and then it's just a monitoring expense.
Re:A soil-science revolution upends plans to fight climate c...
by blingscramble on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @10:12AM
(#27983965)
This is an approach I have seen first hand in my professional life. We have isolated multiple strains of beneficial microbes from contaminated sites (primarily hydrocarbons) for use in remediation efforts. These microbes are very capable and have abilities beyond say the degradation of benzene…for instance they provide nitrogen fixation or phosphate solubilization or other plant promoting activities which allows us to use the same isolates in agriculture to promote a more sustainable production system. I believe microbes play and will continue to play a fundamental role as we find the balance between lowering the impact of commercial agriculture while ensuring the agronomics of said production.
«But over the past 10 years or so, soil science has undergone a quiet revolution, akin to what would happen if, in physics, relativity or quantum mechanics were overthrown.
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Soil researchers have concluded that even the largest, most complex molecules can be quickly devoured by soil’s abundant and voracious microbes. The magic molecule you can just stick in the soil and expect to stay there may not exist.
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The consequences go far beyond carbon sequestration strategies. Major climate models such as those produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are based on this outdated understanding of soil. Several recent studies indicate that those models are underestimating the total amount of carbon that will be released from soil in a warming climate. In addition, computer models that predict the greenhouse gas impacts of farming practices — predictions that are being used in carbon markets — are probably overly optimistic about soil’s ability to trap and hold on to carbon.»