Carbon sequestration and the significance of soil fungi in the process

Abstract

With the advent of industrial revolution, the release of carbon dioxide in the air has increased its concentration in the atmosphere to alarming levels. The value that was approximately 277 ppm in the beginning has crossed the 400 ppm mark in the recent times. The increase in the level of CO2 can be controlled by two pronged approach: first the causes for the rise in the CO2 be identified and managed, and second, the factors which can act as sink to reduce the increase in the CO2 concentration in atmosphere be identified and used in proper manner. Terrestrial component has proven to be acting as a sink to carbon and has in the past kept the concentration of CO2 in check by sequestering it in various forms in the soil. Soil fungi are found to be the main regulatory component in the process, by accumulating carbon in their biomass and by producing recalcitrant decomposition products that have very long residence time in the soil, ranging from years to centuries.