According to a new study, soil acidification in India might lead to loss of 3.3 billion tonnes of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) from the topsoil over the next 30 years.
- The study was published in the journal Science.
Key points
- Carbon in soil can be stored in the form of SIC or soil organic carbon (SOC). SIC includes mineral forms of carbon like calcium carbonate produced by weathering parent material in soil or from the reaction of soil minerals with atmospheric carbon dioxide.
- SOC, which plays a role in nutrient cycling, is the main component of soil organic matter such as plant and animal waste, microbes and microbial byproducts.
- Together, soils store more than thrice the quantity of carbon in vegetation or double the quantity of carbon in the atmosphere. Most of the soil inorganic carbon (by weight) is carbonate.
- Low pH levels (acidic soils) dissolves solid carbonate and removes it either as carbon dioxide gas or releases them directly into the water.
Effects of soil acidification
- It decreases the availability of plant nutrients and increases the availability of some elements to toxic levels.
- Essential plant nutrients can also be leached below the rooting zone.
- Acidity can degrade the favorable environment for bacteria, earthworms and other soil organisms.
- Acidic soils affect crop growth and productivity by reducing the availability of plant nutrients. It also predisposes plants to other biotic and abiotic stress factors.
(Source: Down To Earth)
