The potential for soil carbon sequestration in northern Australia: what’s known.

Over recent years, there has been a huge growth in interest in the potential for soil carbon sequestration in agricultural lands, and the opportunities this may offer land managers for earning carbon credits. However, in contrast to wide agreement on the value of soil organic matter for soil health and productivity, there are very divergent views on the potential for sequestration – increasing the amount of carbon stored permanently (for at least 100 years) for climate change mitigation.

These divergent views are creating uncertainty for policy, and for land management.

While interest is now high, relatively few studies have been conducted, especially long-term trials, to understand the impacts of climate, soil, and management factors on carbon cycling in the extensive and spatially variable landscapes of northern Australia. A review of research and on-ground trials with soil carbon data relevant to northern grazing lands was undertaken to evaluate the evidence for soil carbon sequestration through adoption of new management strategies including:

• Grazing management strategies
• Pasture management strategies
• Land conservation strategies
• Fire management strategies

In this webinar recording, join Adjunct Associate Professor Beverley Henry (Queensland University of Technology) when she looks at what the review and analysis found on soil carbon sequestration opportunities for producers and where gaps in knowledge remain a barrier to participation in carbon credit schemes such as the Emissions Reduction Fund.