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In approximately one decade, global temperatures will likely exceed a warming level that a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report considers a "red alert for humanity". We propose exploring tidal flat diatoms to address climate change challenges. Tidal flats are extensive coastal ecosystems crucial to the provisioning and regulation of aquatic environments. Diatoms contribute to tidal flat biomass production and account for 20% of global primary productivity and 40% of annual marine biomass production, making them crucial for nutrient cycling and sediment stabilization. Potential CO2 removal from Korean tidal flats by diatoms is estimated to be 598,457–683,171 t CO2 equivalents (CO2e) annually, with the economic value of blue carbon (BC) resulting from diatom activity being approximately US$ 17.95–20.50 million. Dissemination of this potential could incentivize coastal wetland protection and climate change mitigation measures. The global estimated CO2e removal potential of tidal flat diatoms is 40,957,346–46,754,961 t CO2e, representing 0.11–0.13% of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions, even though tidal flats cover 0.0025% of the Earth's surface and diatoms represent less than 0.5% (by weight) of all photosynthetic plants. Researchers should combine ecology and economics to develop standardized approaches for carbon input monitoring and quantification. Further, spatiotemporal analyses of environmental threats to tidal flat diatoms are necessary for conserving their biodiversity and function as a critical BC source. Land-based cultivation for large-scale biomass production and biorefinery processes can contribute to a greener, more prosperous future for humanity and the marine ecosystems upon which we rely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon refers to the carbon fixed in marine ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds. Considered a treasure house for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, it can alleviate environmental issues linked to climate change and positively influence the environments where people live. Thus, to clarify the hotspots and development trends of blue carbon research, bibliometric analysis incorporating ScientoPy and VOSviewer software were used to quantitatively analyze 4,604 blue carbon publications from Web of Science and Scopus databases between 1993 and 2023. The results indicate a rapidly growing number of published studies on blue carbon, with blue carbon research being multifaceted and gradually becoming an interdisciplinary and international topic. This study on blue carbon, which is based on keyword clustering analysis, comprises three stages. The analysis of the strength of the cooperative connections between scholars in various countries who have published work on blue carbon. found that the cooperation networks of developed countries are strong and those of developing countries are relatively weak. Quantitative trend analysis reveals a growing focus on the restoration and conservation of blue carbon ecosystems, with remote sensing being the predominant technology used in the blue carbon research field in recent years. In blue carbon research, increasing carbon sequestration capacity, climate change mitigation, and carbon sequestration in macroalgae remain potential hotspots for research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scale at which New Zealand is currently storing and sequestering blue carbon, and could create additional blue carbon via restoration, has been unclear. Here, we calculate a preliminary estimate for the current extent of three key blue carbon ecosystems (saltmarshes, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows), their carbon stocks and their carbon sequestration rates using the best available data to provide a preliminary estimate of blue carbon in New Zealand. We also use local examples to explore opportunities to create additional blue carbon. Based on the available literature, we estimate the current extent of New Zealand's blue carbon ecosystems to be 76,152 ha, which is 1.0% of the area of terrestrial native forests. Our preliminary estimate of New Zealand's blue carbon stock is 2.66–3.76 Mt of carbon, with a current carbon sequestration rate of 0.12 (0.05–0.26) Mt/CO2/yr, which is equivalent to 0.16% of New Zealand's 2021 gross emissions. Restoration of saltmarshes could enhance their carbon sink capacity, mangrove forests are naturally expanding and seagrass meadow restoration techniques at scale are still in development. Developing a national framework for blue carbon protection, monitoring and restoration is important as part of New Zealand's climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive Order No. 14008 mandated that U.S. federal agencies and departments develop Climate Change Adaptation Plans to enhance the nation's resilience to climate change. Invasive species are documented to reduce the effectiveness of climate adaptation and mitigation actions. In spite of this, only eight of the 26 federal plans directly reference invasive species, and just four meaningfully consider the reciprocal impact of invasive species on climate adaptation efforts. To ensure that climate adaptation planning and processes are effective with associated benefits for biodiversity conservation, a gap analysis of the Climate Change Adaptation Plans was conducted. Five key recommendations were developed that would transform how invasive species are considered within them. Examples of how invasive species have been included in some of the plans are provided, with suggestions for agencies that did not include invasive species on how they might do so, to illustrate that dedicated efforts in prevention, detection, and management of invasive species can safeguard carbon sequestration, protect communities and infrastructure, and minimize economic and biodiversity losses. Although developed based on U.S. federal plans, these recommendations can be used by state and local, as well as international, jurisdictions tasked with implementing climate‐adaptive policies to build resilience across multiple sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt marshes provide many important ecosystem services, key among them being carbon sequestration. However, a large degree of uncertainty remains in salt marsh carbon budgets, particularly during colder months of the year when salt marsh microbial and vegetative activity is assumed to dormant. We also lack data on urban systems. In this study, we used an easily portable carbon dioxide sensor package to directly measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes throughout the winter in a temperate, urban salt marsh. We sampled across the dormant season both on normal (cold) temperature days and on days that were anomalously warm (defined here as air temperatures 2.8°C above the long-term average). We demonstrated that median (±mad) daytime CO2 fluxes doubled on the warm days, compared to cold days (1.7 ± 2 mmol m-2 h-1, 0.7 ± 1.3 mmol m-2 h-1, respectively). We also show that net CO2 emissions scaled with soil temperature. The high day-to-day variability, however, implies that infrequent or sparse measurements cannot sufficiently capture the temporal dynamics of dormant season salt marsh net CO2 fluxes. The magnitude of the net CO2 source from our sampling during the dormant season leads us to hypothesize that, as mean annual temperatures continue to increase, dormant season CO2 emissions from salt marshes will increasingly offset growing season carbon dioxide uptake. This change compromises the carbon sequestration capacity, and therefore the climate mitigation potential of these ecosystems. Future studies should focus on quantifying the impact of dormant season CO2, and other greenhouse gases on salt marsh carbon budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines existing literature on issues of climate change challenges globally, with particular emphasis on mitigating and adapting to climate changes. The study discusses the causes and consequences of climate change, policies and initiatives being implemented by various countries, as well as potential trade-offs and synergies between mitigation and adaptation strategies. It also focuses on how specific sectors such as forestry and the agricultural sector can improve food security, rural livelihoods and carbon sequestration. The study emphases the need for increased investment in green technology, more effective legislation on climate, and improved cooperation internationally. Additionally, it provides some suggestions for incorporating and mitigation and adaptation techniques into an integrated sustainable development paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass estimation forms the foundation for tackling global climate issues across diverse land use systems (LUSs). A research initiative was undertaken to identify the maximum biomass allocation using an allometric approach, and to assess the carbon stock, CO2 sequestration, and carbon credit across diverse land use systems (LUSs) in the Vindhyan region of Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India. This study aims to address climate change by identifying land‐use strategies that stabilize income and are easily adoptable by farmers. Tropical dry deciduous forest, agriculture, plantation, horticulture and agri‐horticulture LUSs were investigated using three combinations of custard apple (Annona squamosa), guava (Psidium guajava), bael (Aegle marmelos), mustard (Giriraj) (Brassica nigra), mustard (Pitambri) (Brassica juncea), and lentil (Lens culinaris) in an agri‐horticulture system. Seven treatments with varying carbon stocks were identified: tropical dry deciduous forest (T1) LUS (TDDFLUS); wheat based agriculture (T2) LUS (WBALUS); plantation based on teak (Tectona grandis) (T3) LUS (TBPLUS); horticulture based on karonda (Carissa carandas) (T4) LUS (KBHLUS); bael + lentil (Hul‐57) (T5) LUS (BLBLUS); guava + mustard (Giriraj) (T6) LUS (GMBLUS); and custard apple + mustard (Pitambri) (T7) LUS (CAMBLUS). The results indicate that the lowest and the highest bulk densities (ρb) were recorded in TDDFLUS and WBALUS at the depths of 0–20 cm and 20‐40 cm, respectively. The mean value of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock ranged from 11.24–18.09 t ha−1. The average value of biomass, biomass carbon stock and biomass CO2 sequestration of seven treatments varied from 9.76–88.49 t ha−1, 4.88–44.25 t ha−1, and 17.91–162.39 t ha−1, respectively. The total carbon stock, CO2 sequestration, and carbon credit for the seven treatments varied from 16.57–64.64 t ha−1, 60.82–237.28 t ha−1 and 3040.821–11 863.89US$ ha−1, respectively. The results demonstrated that different LUSs have specific advantages and their application at farm level can encourage sustainability and increase biomass accumulation, leading to carbon sequestration. Agri‐horticulture‐based LUSs can lead to better livelihoods and can also offer numerous advantages such as increased yields of staple food crops and fruits, improved soil health, reduced soil erosion, and significant contributions to the mitigation of anthropogenic warming through CO2 sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestation is a key strategy for climate mitigation in China through its biogeochemical (BGC) effect of ecosystem carbon sequestration. Additionally, the BGC effect of forestation can be either reinforced or counteracted by concurrent biogeophysical processes (BGP effect) resulting in local land surface warming or cooling, which can be translated into CO2e (i.e., BGC effect) using a local transient climate response. Previous evaluations of the climate mitigation potential of future forestation in China have, however, focused on the BGC effect only and neglected the BGP effect, potentially leading to suboptimal forestation areas. Here, we determined priority forestation areas in China by incorporating both effects to maximize its global climate mitigation effect. Our results suggest an additional 167.2 Mha potentially suitable for forestation in China, exceeding the largest forestation target (86.8 Mha) possibly assumed by the government in 2060. The forestation‐induced BGP effect (18.7 ± 61.9 tCO2e ha−1) largely reinforces the BGC effect (458.2 ± 92.6 tCO2e ha−1) in China, yielding a total climate mitigation effect of 476.9 ± 114.2 tCO2e ha−1 over 40 years (2021–2060). Under the 2060 forestation target, considering both BGC and BGP effects will displace 17.7% (15.3 Mha) of the forestation area derived by considering the BGC effect alone. Integrating both BGC and BGP effects will lead to a CO2 uptake of 28.8 GtCO2e by 2060, 3.9 GtCO2e higher than the value obtained when considering the BGC effect only. Our results highlight the importance of considering BGP effect when making forestation policies for climate mitigation. Plain Language Summary: Forestation plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change through both carbon sequestration (biogeochemical or BGC effect) and modification of land surface temperature (biogeophysical or BGP effect). Maximizing forestation contribution to global climate mitigation requires maximizing the collective effects of both BGC and BGP through converting BGP to BGC, as temperature change is fundamentally driven by atmospheric CO2 changes which are further influenced by forestation BGC effect. However, previous evaluations of China's forestation potential almost completely focused on the BGC effect. This study identified optimal forestation areas to maximize their global climate mitigation effect in China by considering both BGC and BGP effects. Considering both effects will displace 17.7% (15.3 Mha) of forestation areas determined by considering only the BGC effect under the 2060 forestation target. Considering both effects also leads to a higher CO2 uptake of 3.9 GtCO2e than the value when considering the BGC effect only by 2060. Forestation‐induced BGC and BGP effects mostly work in synergy in China, mutually enhancing the overall climate benefits. Our findings have implications for future forestation policy in China to maximize its contribution to global climate mitigation. Key Points: The biogeophysical (BGP) effect should be included in the traditional forestation policies considering only biogeochemical (BGC) effectConsidering BGC and BGP effects will lead to 17.7% of forestation area being displaced, compared to considering the BGC effect only by 2060Integrating BGC and BGP effects exhibits a 15.8% (3.9 GtCO2e) increase in CO2 uptake by 2060 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Dual Carbon" initiative is a two-stage carbon reduction goal proposed by China, with significant implications for global climate change mitigation. This article examines the impact of the "Dual Carbon" strategy on China's forestry development and explores how to leverage this strategy to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the forestry sector. Current review indicated that forestry has the advantage of achieving higher emission reduction targets at a low cost. Starting with an overview of the "Dual Carbon" strategy, this paper analyzes the carbon sequestration potential of plants and soil, and the challenges and opportunities faced by forestry development under this framework. Furthermore, we outline implementation pathways for forestry development, aiming to provide insights for the progress of China's forestry sector. Overall, it should be noted that the priority is to vigorously develop timber resources, and we also need to vigorously develop and protect forestry talent with the support of China's policies. By trapping into the carbon storage capabilities and leveraging carbon trading mechanisms of forests, a favorable ecological environment can be created, thus achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Highlights: • Forest development and its carbon sinks, attributed to plant and soil have the potential in carbon sequestration process, thus helping China achieve carbon neutrality. • The supply of forest products and the balance of economic growth and environmental protection are the key difficulties under the "Dual Carbon" strategy. • Trading forest carbon sinks can boost China's sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although afforestation is a potential strategy to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon, its potential biophysical effects on climate, such as regulating surface albedo, evapotranspiration, and energy balance, have not been fully incorporated into climate change mitigation strategies. This is partly due to the challenges associated with modeling the complex bidirectional interactions between vegetation and climate. In this study, we assess the impact of afforestation on low cloud cover using a regional climate model (RCM) and Earth observation data, applying a space‐for‐time approach to overcome limitations that may arise from comparing satellite and RCM results, such as different background climate conditions or different extents of land cover change. Our results show a consistent increase in low cloud cover in Europe due to afforestation in both datasets (3.71% and 3.56% on average, respectively), but the magnitude and direction of this effect depend on various factors, including location, seasonality, and forest type. These results suggest that afforestation can have important feedbacks on the climate system, and that its biophysical effects must be considered in climate change mitigation strategies. Furthermore, we emphasize the role of the modeling community in developing accurate and reliable approaches to assess the biophysical effects of land cover change on climate. Plain Language Summary: Although forests can help combat climate change by capturing carbon dioxide, we haven't fully considered the potential impact they can have on the climate in terms of biophysical factors such as surface reflectivity, evaporation, and energy balance. This is because it's challenging to accurately model the complex interactions between forests and climate. In this study, we used a regional climate model and Earth observation data to examine how forests affect the amount of low‐lying clouds. We used a method that compares satellite and model data to overcome limitations arising from different climate conditions and changes in land cover. Our findings consistently show that forests increase the coverage of low clouds in Europe. However, the specific effects depend on factors such as the location, season, and forest type. These results indicate that forests can have significant impacts on the climate system, and it is important to consider these effects when developing climate change strategies. We also emphasize the need for accurate modeling to better understand how changes in forest cover influence the climate. Key Points: Forests increase the amount of low clouds in EuropeForests impact climate beyond carbon sequestration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are responsible for emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global warming and climate change. As the world's second-largest producer of staple food and the third-largest emitter of GHGs, India has been witnessing an increase in demand for food and energy, resulting in increased emissions. Thus, to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2070, India must focus urgently on climate change mitigation. Its agriculture sector has the potential to transition from being a net emitter to a net absorber of GHGs by adopting sustainable farming practices such as zero tillage, laser-assisted precision land leveling, direct seeding of rice, intercropping, biochar application, use of solar energy, and more efficient management of irrigation water, soil nutrients, livestock feed, and manure. To incentivize climate consciousness, a voluntary carbon credit trading system could be utilized in agriculture, supported by a measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification platform. This system would also bring about social, environmental, and financial co-benefits for its stakeholders. Specifically, the agriculture sector could substantially reduce the country's annual emissions by 84% from 2019 to 2070. But to realize their potential, the carbon markets must overcome the limitations currently set by policy, economic, cultural, and biophysical factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the resultant environmental deterioration signify one of the most challenging problems facing humankind in the 21st century. The origins of climate change are multifaceted and rooted in anthropogenic activities, resulting in increasing greenhouse gases in the environment and leading to global warming and weather drifts. Extremophilic fungi, characterized by their exceptional properties to survive extreme habitats, harbor great potential in mitigating climate change effects. This review provides insight into the potential applications of extremophilic fungi in climate change mitigation strategies. They are able to metabolize organic biomass and degrade carbon compounds, thereby safely sequestering carbon and extenuating its release into the environment as noxious greenhouse gases. Furthermore, they possess extremozymes, which break down recalcitrant organic species, including lignocellulosic biomass and hydrocarbons. Enzymatic machinery equips these extremophilic fungi to perform the bioremediation of polluted environments. Extremophilic fungi can also be exploited for various biological interventions, such as biofuels, bioplastics, and other bioprocessing applications. However, these fungi characterize a valued but underexplored resource in the arsenal of climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing estimates of the climate mitigation potential from cropland carbon sequestration (C‐sequestration) are limited because they tend to assume constant rates of soil organic carbon change over all available cropland area, use relatively coarse land delineations, and often fail to adequately consider the agronomic and socioeconomic dimensions of agricultural land use. This results in an inflated estimate of the C‐sequestration potential. We address this gap by defining a more appropriate land base for cover cropping in the United States for C‐sequestration purposes: stable croplands in annual production systems that can integrate cover cropping without irrigation. Our baseline estimate of this suitable stable cropland area is 32% of current U.S. cropland extent. Even an alternative, less restrictive definition of stability results in a large reduction in area (44% of current U.S. croplands). Focusing cover crop implementation to this constrained land base would increase durability of associated C‐sequestration and limit soil carbon loss from land conversion to qualify for carbon‐specific incentives. Applying spatially‐variable C‐sequestration rates from the literature to our baseline area yields a technical potential of 19.4 Tg CO2e yr−1 annually, about one‐fifth of previous estimates. We also find the cost of realizing about half (10 Tg CO2e yr−1) of this potential could exceed 100 USD Mg CO2e−1, an order of magnitude higher than previously thought. While our economic analyses suggest that financial incentives are necessary for large‐scale adoption of cover cropping in the U.S., they also imply any C‐sequestration realized under such incentives is likely to be additional. Plain Language Summary: As a "Nature‐based Climate Solution" (NCS), the practice of cover cropping has received widespread attention and investment recently. Through cover cropping, croplands may be able to absorb and hold more carbon in soil, drawing down CO2 in the atmosphere (i.e., sequester carbon). However, the sequestration that is feasible, which reflects socioeconomic and land use considerations, remains unquantified. We estimate this feasible potential for carbon sequestration in the U.S. croplands from cover cropping and find it to be a fraction of previous estimates. A large portion of the reduction is due to our use of a more realistic and rigorous definition of the land area suitable for cover cropping for climate mitigation purposes. This land area comprises "croplands remaining croplands" (or stable croplands) that are planted to annual crops, like corn and soybeans, because they can more easily integrate the practice. We exclude irrigated croplands to conserve water resources. At just under 44 million ha, our baseline area estimate is 32% of the current U.S. cropland extent. The rest of the reduction is associated with our use of more conservative rates of increase in soil carbon from cover cropping than earlier studies that are more realistic for assessing soil carbon sequestration potential over large areas. Our economic analyses suggests that without financial incentives, implementing cover cropping could be expensive for most U.S. farmers. This high cost hurdle needs to be evaluated against the cost‐effectiveness of alternatives that compete for the same limited resources for climate mitigation. Key Points: For U.S. croplands, the feasible potential of carbon sequestration from cover cropping is a fraction of previous estimatesDefining the land base suitable for mitigation practices more realistically and rigorously is critical to estimating the feasible potentialCover cropping, though beneficial for soil health, may not be a low‐cost pathway for climate mitigation at scale in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural ecosystems store large amounts of carbon globally, as organisms absorb carbon from the atmosphere to build large, long-lasting, or slow-decaying structures such as tree bark or root systems. An ecosystem's carbon sequestration potential is tightly linked to its biological diversity. Yet when considering future projections, many carbon sequestration models fail to account for the role biodiversity plays in carbon storage. Here, we assess the consequences of plant biodiversity loss for carbon storage under multiple climate and land-use change scenarios. We link a macroecological model projecting changes in vascular plant richness under different scenarios with empirical data on relationships between biodiversity and biomass. We find that biodiversity declines from climate and land use change could lead to a global loss of between 7.44-103.14 PgC (global sustainability scenario) and 10.87-145.95 PgC (fossil-fueled development scenario). This indicates a self-reinforcing feedback loop, where higher levels of climate change lead to greater biodiversity loss, which in turn leads to greater carbon emissions and ultimately more climate change. Conversely, biodiversity conservation and restoration can help achieve climate change mitigation goals. Loss of vegetation carbon from biodiversity loss could rival emissions from other sources such as land-use change. This creates a feedback where climate change increases biodiversity loss, leading to greater emissions and more climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global climate change is one of the major challenges facing the world today, and forests play a crucial role as significant carbon sinks and providers of ecosystem services in mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. China, as one of the largest developing countries globally, owns 60% of its forest resources collectively. Evaluating the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests not only helps assess the contribution of China's forest resources to global climate change mitigation but also provides important evidence for formulating relevant policies and measures. Results: Over the past 30 years, the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China has shown an overall upward trend. Except for coastal provinces, southern collective forest areas, as well as some southwestern and northeastern regions, have the advantage of lower carbon sequestration costs. Furthermore, LSTM network predictions indicate that the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China will continue to rise. By 2030, the average carbon sequestration cost of collective forests is projected to reach 125 CNY per ton(= 16.06 Euros/t). Additionally, there is spatial correlation in the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests. Timber production, labor costs, and labor prices have negative spatial spillover effects on carbon sequestration costs, while land opportunity costs, forest accumulation, and rural resident consumption have positive spatial spillover effects. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate regional disparities in the spatial distribution of carbon sequestration costs of collective forests, with an undeniable upward trend in future cost growth. It is essential to focus on areas with lower carbon sequestration costs and formulate targeted carbon sink economic policies and management measures to maximize the carbon sequestration potential of collective forests and promote the sustainable development of forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horse mussel beds are listed as a Priority Marine Feature (PMF) in Scotland for their influence in the creation of diverse benthic communities and provision of ecosystem services. In Scotland, horse mussel beds are also recognised for their importance in marine carbon sequestration. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data on horse mussel bed carbon stocks and sediment thickness. There are also significant financial and logistical barriers with which to address these data gaps. This study investigates the robustness of Sub-Bottom Profiling (SBP) as a costeffective method to quantify horse mussel sediment thickness across a landscape. Integrating SBP and Drop-Down Video (DDV) data, this study also details an integrated approach to investigate the links between horse mussel habitat condition and sediment thickness. With the addition of abiotic data, this study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to elucidate key relationships between abiotic factors, biotic variables, and sediment thickness. There is a significant positive correlation of horse mussel habitat condition and sediment thickness. Average horse mussel total sediment thickness, across all measures of habitat condition, was 1.37m. These findings substantially increase previous estimates of horse mussel sediment thickness, and potential value to climate change mitigation through blue carbon frameworks. This study highlights the importance of both abiotic and biotic factors on marine carbon sediment quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Perhutani and local farmers in developing agroforestry in Bogor Forest Management Unit (FMU) is important for carbon sequestration-based climate mitigation efforts. Different compositions of the plants in seven agroforestry systems in four part of Bogor FMU. Farmers adjust the multipurpose crops planted with Perhutani main plants, which are more dominant. The potential mean annual carbon increment based on aboveground carbon stock of agroforestry is between 2.26 to 66.65 tonnes per hectare, while in 2 monocultures land system is between 13.65 to 18.29 tonnes per hectare. The carbon increment in agroforestry systems is better than monoculture because of plant diversity and different ages. Then, carbon revenue using carbon pricing set by the World Bank-FCPF Program in East Kalimantan is in the range of IDR 1,547,325 to IDR 49,292,405 per hectare, using the Social Cost scheme in the range IDR 12,997,535 to IDR 414,056,204 per hectare and using domestic carbon tax is range IDR 635.017 to IDR 20,229,441 perhectare. Regarding carbon revenues, the wider the agroforestry land managed by farmers, the higher the carbon income received. Using the benefit transfer method over a 20-year mitigation period, an estimated 2.19 times increase in carbon revenues is obtained at an inflation rate of 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a cross‐sectoral push among conservationists to simultaneously mitigate biodiversity loss and climate change, especially as the latter increasingly threatens the former. Growing evidence demonstrates that animals can have substantial impacts on carbon cycling. As such, there are increasing calls to use animal conservation and rewilding to dually overcome biodiversity loss and mitigate climate change.Specifically, trophic rewilding—which involves restoring intact animal communities, functional roles and trophic structure within food webs, and natural ecosystem processes—utilizes a rewilding framework to simultaneously support biodiversity conservation and carbon capture and storage. Trophic rewilding is a complex conservation approach to mitigating climate change, involving accurate estimations of baseline conditions and continuous monitoring of carbon cycling and species impacts within a system. It is also predicated on garnering social support for both the reintroduction and monitoring of a species, and obtaining the animals themselves.We are excited by the growing interest in this potential, but emphasize that a species' net impact on ecosystem carbon dynamics is context‐dependent. Caution is required whenever biodiversity conservation (including rewilding), climate change mitigation, and human welfare do not readily align. Hence—similar to other nature‐based solutions—these burgeoning efforts must avoid sweeping generalizations.To bolster successful trophic rewilding, we highlight a range of social and ecological context dependencies that can vary outcomes in a rewilded carbon cycle and provide ethical considerations for successful implementation.We conclude with an overview of the available technology to predict and monitor progress toward both biodiversity and climate mitigation goals. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon has been proposed as a nature-based solution for climate change mitigation; however, a limited number of published works and data and knowledge gaps hinder the development of small island developing states' (SIDS) national blue carbon resources globally. This paper reviews the blue carbon ecosystems of Seychelles as a case study in the context of SIDS, comparing estimations by the Blue Carbon Lab and recent blue carbon (mangrove and seagrass) evaluations submitted to the Seychelles national government. Mangroves (2195 ha, 80% in Aldabra Atoll) and seagrasses (142,065 ha) dominate in Seychelles, with coral reefs having the potential for carbon sequestration (169,000 ha). Seychelles is on track to protecting its blue carbon, but these systems are threatened by rising sea levels, coastal squeeze, erosion, severe storms, and human activities. The importance of carbon inventories, accounting institutions, and continuous monitoring of blue carbon systems is discussed. Blue accounting is necessary for accurate accounting of carbon sequestration and carbon storage, generating carbon credits, and representing impactful reductions in greenhouse gases for NDCs. Challenges and opportunities include policy legislation regarding ownership rights, accreditation and certification for carbon credits, sustainable financing mechanisms like natural asset companies and blue tokens, local engagement for long-term success, and carbon market dynamics following COP27. The restoration and regulation of blue carbon resources for optimal ecosystem services delivery, carbon inventories, and blue carbon policy are recommended development priorities. Blue carbon ecosystems have the potential to contribute to NDCs of SIDS while simultaneously offering sustainable development pathways for local communities through the multiple ecosystem services they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of releasing carbon from the terrestrial pool into the atmosphere have significant long‐term and short‐term implications that affect many parts of our globe. Agricultural fields might help to address these concerns and provide cost‐effective solutions, such as lowering carbon dioxide levels (CO2) in the atmosphere while raising carbon levels in the soil. In order to increase agricultural land's potential to absorb and store carbon, the proper selection of suitable microbial inoculants with the capability to sequester carbon into soils is critical. Soil quality and characteristics would improve as a result, and atmospheric carbon would therefore be reduced. Soil microbes have the potential to influence the level of organic matter, which has an impact on the soil's ecological system and characteristics. Soil microbes play a role in carbon sequestration in soils by regulating multiple and distinct pathways for CO2 inputs and losses, such as biochemical processes that could sequester CO2, the capacity to sediment carbonates, the rigid nature of their components and vegetative tissues, or the composition of complex substances that preserve carbon in the soil. Further research is needed to investigate if particular microbial strains that can sequester carbon will help enhance soil quality and prevent climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacred groves are remnants of primary forests with rich biological diversity, protected by indigenous communities. Their role in carbon sequestration and provision of other ecosystem services is being recognized. We investigated four sacred groves (Idanre Hills, Igbo-Olodumare, Ogun-Onire, and Osun-Osogbo) in southwestern Nigeria for biodiversity conservation, biomass production, and carbon storage. A total of 32 temporary sample plots of 800 m2 each were laid across all the sacred groves. Within each plot, all trees with dbh greater or equal to 10 cm were identified, and their diameters and heights measured. Saplings and seedlings were assessed within 100 m2 and 25 m2 sub-plots, respectively. Non-destructive methods were employed in estimating volume, biomass production, and carbon storage. Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Margalef index, and tree species richness in the four groves ranged from 2.63–3.55, 5.64–10.02, and 41–85, respectively, and differed significantly. The four groves were sanctuaries for many indigenous tree species of immense social, religious, ecological, and socio-economic importance. The high densities of seedling and sapling, together with the inverted-J tree diameter distributions, are indications of active regeneration and healthy ecosystem. Mean volume was high (range 244.99 to 343.08 m3 ha−1). The biomass (range 87.8 to 231.85 t ha−1) and carbon stock (range 43.9 to 115.9 t ha−1) of the groves revealed their potentials for climate change mitigation through atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Thus, besides being an effective biodiversity conservation method, sacred groves are important carbon sink. This calls for further conservation of sacred groves to serve as long-term carbon storage mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils store large quantities of carbon in the subsoil (below 0.2 m depth) that is generally old and believed to be stabilized over centuries to millennia, which suggests that subsoil carbon sequestration (CS) can be used as a strategy for climate change mitigation. In this article, we review the main biophysical processes that contribute to carbon storage in subsoil and the main mathematical models used to represent these processes. Our guiding objective is to review whether a process understanding of soil carbon movement in the vertical profile can help us to assess carbon storage and persistence at timescales relevant for climate change mitigation. Bioturbation, liquid phase transport, belowground carbon inputs, mineral association, and microbial activity are the main processes contributing to the formation of soil carbon profiles, and these processes are represented in models using the diffusion–advection–reaction paradigm. Based on simulation examples and measurements from carbon and radiocarbon profiles across biomes, we found that advective and diffusive transport may only play a secondary role in the formation of soil carbon profiles. The difference between vertical root inputs and decomposition seems to play a primary role in determining the shape of carbon change with depth. Using the transit time of carbon to assess the timescales of carbon storage of new inputs, we show that only small quantities of new carbon inputs travel through the profile and can be stabilized for time horizons longer than 50 years, implying that activities that promote CS in the subsoil must take into consideration the very small quantities that can be stabilized in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term carbon (C) sequestration has not just become a buzzword but is something of a siren's call to scientific communicators and media outlets. Carbon sequestration is the removal of C from the atmosphere and the storage, for example, in soil. It has the potential to partially compensate for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and is, therefore, an important piece in the global climate change mitigation puzzle. However, the term C sequestration is often used misleadingly and, while likely unintentional, can lead to the perpetuation of biased conclusions and exaggerated expectations about its contribution to climate change mitigation efforts. Soils have considerable potential to take up C but many are also in a state of continuous loss. In such soils, measures to build up soil C may only lead to a reduction in C losses (C loss mitigation) rather than result in real C sequestration and negative emissions. In an examination of 100 recent peer‐reviewed papers on topics surrounding soil C, only 4% were found to have used the term C sequestration correctly. Furthermore, 13% of the papers equated C sequestration with C stocks. The review, further, revealed that measures leading to C sequestration will not always result in climate change mitigation when non‐CO2 greenhouse gases and leakage are taken into consideration. This paper highlights potential pitfalls when using the term C sequestration incorrectly and calls for accurate usage of this term going forward. Revised and new terms are suggested to distinguish clearly between C sequestration in soils, SOC loss mitigation, negative emissions, climate change mitigation, SOC storage, and SOC accrual to avoid miscommunication among scientists and stakeholder groups in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) is highly stable, and constitutes an important source of long-term C storage in agrosystems. This stored carbon is resistant to the processes of oxidation of carbon compounds. In our research phytolith content in barley (Estonia) and oat (Poland) grain and straw was assessed at field trials, with Si as a liquid immune stimulant OPTYSIL and compost fertilisation. We showed that cereals can produce relatively high amounts of phytoliths. PhytOC plays a key role in carbon sequestration, particularly for poor, sandy Polish and Estonian soils. The phytolith content was always higher in straw than in grain regardless of the type of cereals. The phytolith content in oat grains varied from 18.46 to 21.28 mg∙g-1 DM, and in straw 27.89-38.97 mg∙g-1 DM. The phytolith content in barley grain ranged from 17.24 to 19.86 mg∙g-1 DM, and in straw from 22.06 to 49.08 mg∙g-1 DM. Our results suggest that oat ecosystems can absorb from 14.94 to 41.73 kg e-CO2∙ha-1 and barley absorb from 0.32 to 1.60 kg e-CO2∙ha-1. The accumulation rate of PhytOC can be increased 3-fold in Polish conditions through foliar application of silicon, and 5-fold in Estonian conditions. In parallel, the compost fertilisation increased the phytolith content in cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As it is now established that global warming and climate change are a reality, international investments are pouring in and rightfully so for climate change mitigation. Carbon capture and separation (CCS) is therefore gaining paramount importance as it is considered one of the powerful solutions for global warming. Sorption on porous materials is a promising alternative to traditional carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technologies. Owing to their sustainable availability, economic viability, and important recyclability, natural products‐derived porous carbons have emerged as favorable and competitive materials for CO2 sorption. Furthermore, the fabrication of high‐quality value‐added functional porous carbon‐based materials using renewable precursors and waste materials is an environmentally friendly approach. This review provides crucial insights and analyses to enhance the understanding of the application of porous carbons in CO2 capture. Various methods for the synthesis of porous carbon, their structural characterization, and parameters that influence their sorption properties are discussed. The review also delves into the utilization of molecular dynamics (MD), Monte Carlo (MC), density functional theory (DFT), and machine learning techniques for simulating adsorption and validating experimental results. Lastly, the review provides future outlook and research directions for progressing the use of natural products‐derived porous carbons for CO2 capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the world's nations (around 130) have committed to reaching net‐zero carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, yet robust policies rarely underpin these ambitions. To investigate whether existing and expected national policies will allow Brazil to meet its net‐zero GHG emissions pledge by 2050, we applied a detailed regional integrated assessment modelling approach. This included quantifying the role of nature‐based solutions, such as the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and engineered solutions, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Our results highlight ecosystem protection as the most critical cost‐effective climate mitigation measure for Brazil, whereas relying heavily on costly and not‐mature‐yet engineered solutions will jeopardise Brazil's chances of achieving its net‐zero pledge by mid‐century. We show that the full implementation of Brazil's Forest Code (FC), a key policy for emission reduction in Brazil, would be enough for the country to achieve its short‐term climate targets up to 2030. However, it would reduce the gap to net‐zero GHG emissions by 38% by 2050. The FC, combined with zero legal deforestation and additional large‐scale ecosystem restoration, would reduce this gap by 62% by mid‐century, keeping Brazil on a clear path towards net‐zero GHG emissions by around 2040. While some level of deployment of negative emissions technologies will be needed for Brazil to achieve and sustain its net‐zero pledge, we show that the more mitigation measures from the land‐use sector, the less costly engineered solutions from the energy sector will be required. Our analysis underlines the urgent need for Brazil to go beyond existing policies to help fight climate emergency, to align its short‐ and long‐term climate targets, and to build climate resilience while curbing biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the urgency to limit global warming has intensified, negative emissions technology such as direct air capture and carbon sequestration are increasingly considered in climate mitigation scenarios. When Iceland opened the commercial-grade direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) facility in 2021, this marked a breakthrough for DACCS technology as a scalable climate mitigation solution. This study investigates the adoption of DACCS in Iceland and the potential for diffusion into other contexts as a global decarbonization solution. We implement expert interviews to analyze the adoption of technology, and to identify the various requirements of scaling DACCS into local and global contexts. Using inductive thematic analysis, we characterize the diverging perspectives on the role of carbon dioxide removal as a climate mitigation solution and also identify pathways toward technology upscaling at national, regional, and global scales. Despite the successful technology demonstration of DACCS, we find that experts hold different mental models of climate mitigation generally, characterized as "nature vs. technology." We also find that experts clearly articulate the necessary conditions for the diffusion of DACCS more broadly, including explicit regulatory measures as guardrails against a "license to pollute" as well as bilateral governance structures that include financial investment. Finally, we find that the importance of public acceptance of the technology was noted among all expert groups. Limited data exist on the acceptance of DACCS paired with renewable energy and this is a future research recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study was conducted to estimate the carbon stocks of the Geramo forest. • The biomass of 73 woody species (trees and shrubs) was estimated using appropriate allometric equations. • The four forest carbon pools (AGB, BGB, LHG and SOC) were considered to determine carbon stock density in this study. • The estimated total carbon stock of the Geramo forest was about 57,994 Mg h−1. • The estimated climate change mitigation potential of the study forest was about 212,838.1 Mg h−1. Forests play a vital role in the global carbon balance and combating global climate change by sequestering and retaining carbon from the atmosphere in their biomass and soil. Thus, this study aims to estimate the carbon stocks in the biomass and soil along with various environmental factors in the Geramo forest in southern Ethiopia. Ninety-six plots (20 × 20 m2) were laid at a distance of 250 m along 16 line transects that were laid 300 m apart. Five 1 × 1 m2 subplots (4 at the corner and 1 at the center) were laid inside each main plot for LHG and soil data collection. The results revealed that the estimated total carbon stocks and mean carbon stock densities of the study forest were 57994 Mg h−1and 604 ± 344 Mg h−1, respectively, with a mean CO 2 equivalent of 2217 ± 1262 Mg h−1. This result indicates the remarkable role of the Geramo forest in carbon stock and sequestration potential compared with other remnant forests in Ethiopia. Thus, the Geramo forest plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, and hence, this forest can generate carbon credits as financial benefits to the nearby population in the future. The results also revealed that anthropogenic disturbances were negatively associated with the carbon stocks of the forest. Therefore, sustainable forest conservation activities are needed to conserve forest resources, protect the forest from growing anthropogenic disturbances, and sustain its current global climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation, restoration, and improved management of terrestrial forests significantly contributes to mitigate climate change and its impacts, as well as providing numerous co‐benefits. The pressing need to reduce emissions and increase carbon removal from the atmosphere is now also leading to the development of natural climate solutions in the ocean. Interest in the carbon sequestration potential of underwater macroalgal forests is growing rapidly among policy, conservation, and corporate sectors. Yet, our understanding of whether carbon sequestration from macroalgal forests can lead to tangible climate change mitigation remains severely limited, hampering their inclusion in international policy or carbon finance frameworks. Here, we examine the results of over 180 publications to synthesise evidence regarding macroalgal forest carbon sequestration potential. We show that research efforts on macroalgae carbon sequestration are heavily skewed towards particulate organic carbon (POC) pathways (77% of data publications), and that carbon fixation is the most studied flux (55%). Fluxes leading directly to carbon sequestration (e.g. carbon export or burial in marine sediments) remain poorly resolved, likely hindering regional or country‐level assessments of carbon sequestration potential, which are only available from 17 of the 150 countries where macroalgal forests occur. To solve this issue, we present a framework to categorize coastlines according to their carbon sequestration potential. Finally, we review the multiple avenues through which this sequestration can translate into climate change mitigation capacity, which largely depends on whether management interventions can increase carbon removal above a natural baseline or avoid further carbon emissions. We find that conservation, restoration and afforestation interventions on macroalgal forests can potentially lead to carbon removal in the order of 10's of Tg C globally. Although this is lower than current estimates of natural sequestration value of all macroalgal habitats (61–268 Tg C year−1), it suggests that macroalgal forests could add to the total mitigation potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and offer valuable mitigation opportunities in polar and temperate areas where blue carbon mitigation is currently low. Operationalizing that potential will necessitate the development of models that reliably estimate the proportion of production sequestered, improvements in macroalgae carbon fingerprinting techniques, and a rethinking of carbon accounting methodologies. The ocean provides major opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and the largest coastal vegetated habitat on Earth should not be ignored simply because it does not fit into existing frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbes are microscopic organisms that inhabit the soil and play a significant role in various ecological processes. They are essential for nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and maintaining soil health. Importantly, soil microbes have the potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through processes like carbon fixation and storage in organic matter. Unlocking the potential of microbial-driven carbon storage holds the key to revolutionizing climate-smart agricultural practices, paving the way for sustainable productivity and environmental conservation. A fascinating tale of nature's unsung heroes is revealed by delving into the realm of soil microbes. The guardians of the Earth are these tiny creatures that live beneath our feet and discreetly work their magic to fend off the effects of climate change. These microbes are also essential for plant growth enhancement through their roles in nutrient uptake, nitrogen fixation, and synthesis of growth-promoting chemicals. By understanding and managing soil microbial communities, it is possible to improve soil health, soil water-holding capacity, and promote plant growth in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Added to it, these microbes play an important role in biodegradation, bioremediation of heavy metals, and phytoremediation, which in turn helps in treating the contaminated soils. Unfortunately, climate change events affect the diversity, composition, and metabolism of these microbes. Unlocking the microbial potential demands an interdisciplinary endeavor spanning microbiology, ecology, agronomy, and climate science. It is a call to arms for the scientific community to recognize soil microbes as invaluable partners in the fight against climate change. By implementing data-driven land management strategies and pioneering interventions, we possess the means to harness their capabilities, paving the way for climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and promote ecosystem resilience in the imminent future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Industrial Revolution, human economic activity and the global development of society in general have been heavily dependent on the exploitation of natural resources. The use of fossil fuels, deforestation, the drainage of wetlands, the transformation of coastal marine ecosystems, unsustainable land use, and many other unbalanced processes of human activity have led to an increase both in the anthropogenic emissions of climate-active gases and in their concentration in the atmosphere. It is believed that over the past ~150 years these phenomena have contributed to an increase in the global average temperature in the near-surface layer of the atmosphere by ~1 °C. Currently, the most pressing tasks facing states and scientific and civil societies are to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions and to limit the global air temperature increase. In this regard, there is an urgent need to change existing production systems in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to sequester them. In this review, we consider up-to-date scientific approaches and innovative technologies, which may help in developing roadmaps to reduce the emissions of climate-active gases, control rising temperatures, decarbonize economies, and promote the sustainable development of society in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil carbon pools have a significant impact on the global carbon cycle and soil erosion caused by natural or human activities is one of the main drivers of changes in soil carbon sequestration. The present study aimed to estimate the carbon loss associated with soil loss in the watershed using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The study was carried out at the Central MPKV Campus Watershed, Rahuri, located in the rain shadow region of the Maharashtra state, India. The soil loss from the watershed was estimated using USLE model. The soil loss and carbon loss from the watershed were estimated before the implementation of conservation measures and after the implementation of conservation measures. It was found that the average annual soil loss from the watershed before and after conservation measures was 18.68 t/ha/yr and 9.41 t/ha/yr, respectively. Carbon loss was determined by soil loss rate, organic carbon content and the carbon enrichment ratio. The carbon loss from the watershed before and after conservation measures was 348.71 kgC/ha/yr and 205.52 kgC/ha/yr. The findings revealed that soil and carbon erosion was very severe on steep slopes without conservation measures and with limited vegetation cover. It was found that by reducing the carbon loss associated with soil loss, soil conservation measures not only aid in the conservation of natural resources but also serve as a climate change mitigation measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, Miombo woodlands store important quantities of carbon, with tree cover and carbon stocks strongly determined by human use. We assessed woodland cover and aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks of miombo along a utilisation gradient on three different land use types, that is, a national park, a buffer zone and a communal area. Woodland cover and carbon stock changes were assessed through mapping of AGC between 2007 and 2017 using Phased Array L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar observations (ALOS-PALSAR 1 and 2). Woodland cover was higher in the national park and the buffer zone than in the communal area for both 2007 and 2017. In 2007, mean AGC stock was not significantly different (p = 0.05) across all three land use types. However, in 2017, mean AGC was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the buffer zone and communal area than in the national park. In all three land use types, Miombo woodland cover and mean AGC gains outweighed losses over the 10-year period. AGC gains were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the national park than in both the buffer zone and the communal area. Results of the study indicate that woodland cover and aboveground carbon increased in all three land use types despite the observed human disturbance over the study period. Both variables recorded a lower increase with elevated utilisation. The study concluded that sustainable resource utilisation is possible without loss of such ecosystem services as carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subalpine forests in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) act as carbon sinks in the context of climate change and ecosystem dynamics. In this study, we investigated the carbon sequestration function using the in-situ observations from an eddy covariance system for the subalpine forests. With two-year contiguous observations, the factors driving the seasonal variations in carbon sequestration potential were quantified. We first revealed the seasonal characteristics of carbon dynamics in the subalpine forests during the growing and dormant seasons, respectively. The diurnal carbon exchange exhibited significant fluctuations, as high as 10.78 μmol CO2 s-1 m-2 (12:30, autumn). The period from summer to autumn was identified as the peak in carbon sequestration rate in the subalpine forests. Subsequently, we explored the climatic factors influencing the carbon sequestration function. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was found to be a major climatic factor driving the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) within the same season, significantly influencing forest growth and carbon absorption. Increasing altitude negatively impacts carbon absorption at the regional scale and the rising annual temperature significantly enhances carbon uptake, while the average annual precipitation shows a minor effect on NEE. At the annual scale, the observations at the subalpine forests demonstrated a strong carbon sequestration capability, with an average NEE of 389.03 g C m-2. Furthermore, we roughly assessed the carbon sequestration status of subalpine forests in the QTP. Despite challenges caused by climate change, these forests possess enormous carbon sequestration potential. Currently, they represent the most robust carbon sequestration ecosystem in the QTP. We conclude that enhancing the protection and management of subalpine forests under future climate change scenarios will positively impact global carbon cycling and contribute to climate change mitigation. Moreover, this study provides essential insights for understanding the carbon cycling mechanism in plateau ecosystems and global carbon balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subalpine forests in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) act as carbon sinks in the context of climate change and ecosystem dynamics. In this study, we investigated the carbon sequestration function using the in-situ observations from an eddy covariance system for the subalpine forests. With two-year contiguous observations, the factors driving the seasonal variations in carbon sequestration potential were quantified. We first revealed the seasonal characteristics of carbon dynamics in the subalpine forests during the growing and dormant seasons, respectively. The diurnal carbon exchange exhibited significant fluctuations, as high as 10.78 μmol CO2 s-1 m-2 (12:30, autumn). The period from summer to autumn was identified as the peak in carbon sequestration rate in the subalpine forests. Subsequently, we explored the climatic factors influencing the carbon sequestration function. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was found to be a major climatic factor driving the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) within the same season, significantly influencing forest growth and carbon absorption. Increasing altitude negatively impacts carbon absorption at the regional scale and the rising annual temperature significantly enhances carbon uptake, while the average annual precipitation shows a minor effect on NEE. At the annual scale, the observations at the subalpine forests demonstrated a strong carbon sequestration capability, with an average NEE of 389.03 g C m-2. Furthermore, we roughly assessed the carbon sequestration status of subalpine forests in the QTP. Despite challenges caused by climate change, these forests possess enormous carbon sequestration potential. Currently, they represent the most robust carbon sequestration ecosystem in the QTP. We conclude that enhancing the protection and management of subalpine forests under future climate change scenarios will positively impact global carbon cycling and contribute to climate change mitigation. Moreover, this study provides essential insights for understanding the carbon cycling mechanism in plateau ecosystems and global carbon balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing climate crisis merits an urgent need to devise management approaches and new technologies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (GHG) in the near term. However, each year that GHG concentrations continue to rise, pressure mounts to develop and deploy atmospheric CO2 removal pathways as a complement to, and not replacement for, emissions reductions. Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) practices in working lands provide a low‐tech and cost‐effective means for removing CO2 from the atmosphere while also delivering co‐benefits to people and ecosystems. Our model estimates suggest that, assuming additive effects, the technical potential of combined SCS practices can provide 30%–70% of the carbon removal required by the Paris Climate Agreement if applied to 25%–50% of the available global land area, respectively. Atmospheric CO2 drawdown via SCS has the potential to last decades to centuries, although more research is needed to determine the long‐term viability at scale and the durability of the carbon stored. Regardless of these research needs, we argue that SCS can at least serve as a bridging technology, reducing atmospheric CO2 in the short term while energy and transportation systems adapt to a low‐C economy. Soil C sequestration in working lands holds promise as a climate change mitigation tool, but the current rate of implementation remains too slow to make significant progress toward global emissions goals by 2050. Outreach and education, methodology development for C offset registries, improved access to materials and supplies, and improved research networks are needed to accelerate the rate of SCS practice implementation. Herein, we present an argument for the immediate adoption of SCS practices in working lands and recommendations for improved implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change impact has increased in recent decades and put urgency on implementing effective climate change mitigation (CCM) activities. Rewetting of drained peatlands is an acknowledged measure to reduce GHG emissions from organic soils in the agriculture and land use sectors. Under waterlogged conditions, decomposition of organic matter in peat decreases, and emissions of CO2 are reduced. Thus, the soil carbon stock is saved, and wet management of the site reactivates carbon sequestration. To reach CCM targets, the first rewetting and paludiculture trials have been implemented in Latvia. In this article, we review the current status of paludiculture in Latvia and evaluate the pros and cons of their wider implementation. The majority of paludiculture projects and pilot studies in Latvia have not been published so far and are reported here for the first time. Our assessment of paludiculture shows that trails on Alnus, Phalaris, Phragmites, Sphagnum, and Typha installed by the private enterprises have promising results for upcoming large-scale implementation. There are available areas for paludiculture in Latvia, but the current legislation and national framework policies (environment, agriculture, forest, and climate) do not fully support such activities yet and must be adapted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystems play a central role in the global carbon cycle and climate mitigation due to their offering of a large carbon sink. More than one‐fifth of the geographical area of India, one of the largest nations on the Earth, is forested, which is highly diverse in vegetation and climate types, offers huge potential for carbon sequestration, but remains vulnerable to climate change. Hence, it is imperative to know the future changes in the terrestrial carbon budget over this region. Gross primary productivity (GPP) represents the carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. The multimodel ensembles of GPP simulated by the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) provide a useful means in this regard. In this work, we study the strength and variability of GPP over India in the near‐past and future using these simulations. In future, all the models show an increasing trend in GPP, however, with widely varying trends. The preferred month of carbon uptake differs among the models. A comparison with a satellite biophysical record shows the models underestimated the GPP during the near‐past over India. The carbon uptake in the Eastern Himalaya dominates the Western Himalaya and central Indian regions. Specifically, till 2100, the growth rate of GPP varies from 4.9 to 16.69 gC m−2 y−2, from 2.47 to 18.91 gC m−2 y−2, and from 0.32 to 21.95 gC m−2 y−2 over these three regions, respectively. Plain Language Summary: Climate change is an imminent problem driven by greenhouse gases, with adverse impacts on the Earth system. Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas. Plants offer a natural strategy to mitigate climate change by their photosynthetic carbon uptake. For climate change impact assessment, projections of climate models are widely used, developed from our understanding of the Earth system, as measured by the observations. India is a large and populous country that remains highly vulnerable to climate change; it also plays a key role in global climate change and its mitigation. However, to devise a suitable mitigation strategy the future carbon sequestration by the natural ecosystems in this region needs to be quantified. The World Climate Research Program developed the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, a multi‐model ensemble study providing future projections of climate variables under different climate change scenarios. In this work, we use these ensembles to study the future photosynthetic carbon uptake over India and its three key forested regions. We find the photosynthetic carbon uptake to increase manifold over India, with significant inter‐model uncertainties. We also find the Eastern Himalaya to have stronger biospheric carbon removal from the atmosphere than the Western Himalaya and Central Indian regions. Key Points: Photosynthetic carbon uptake increases over India in future with the annual growth rate varying from 3 to 15 gC m−2 y−2The photosynthetic carbon uptake is larger in Eastern Himalaya compared to Western Himalaya and Central IndiaThere is a large discord on the strength, trend and variability of Gross primary productivity over India among CMIP6 models and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest carbon sinks play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Chinese government has demonstrated its proactive approach to addressing climate change by setting development targets for low-carbon transformation and making solemn commitments to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In this article, the Chinese Government's Work Reports and Five-Year Plans are used to construct an index named China's Climate Change Policy Attention ( C C P A ), which reflects the government's emphasis on climate change and forestry in China. This article aims to examine the impact of C C P A , the adjusted Climate Policy Uncertainty ( C P U ) index from the U.S., and the Economic Policy Uncertainty ( E P U ) index from China on the Chinese forest carbon stocks ( F C S ) comprehensively. On this basis, we are interested in clarifying the channels by which C C P A promotes the growth of forest carbon sequestration in China. Specifically, panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2017 are used for empirical analysis, and the following results are obtained: (1) The baseline regression indicates that C C P A significantly promotes the growth of F C S , while C P U or E P U inhibits its growth. (2) The interactive regression shows that the effect of C C P A on the growth of F C S can mitigate the inhibiting impact of C P U or E P U . (3) Mediation analysis documents that C C P A promotes F C S growth by increasing the forest tending area, expanding the existing forest area, increasing renewable energy consumption, and improving green investment. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals a clear differentiation in the effect of C C P A on F C S under different situations. Finally, policy implications are proposed based on the results. This article is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the Chinese government to develop relevant policies from the perspective of promoting F C S growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes three ways to build on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) analyses of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) mitigation potential by assessing sustainability risks associated with land use change and biodiversity loss. These include estimating the sustainable CDR budget based on socioecological thresholds, identifying viable mitigation pathways that do not overstep these thresholds, and reframing emerging CDR governancce.

Background: Nature-based interventions (NbIs) for climate change mitigation include a diverse set of interventions aimed at conserving, restoring, and/or managing natural and modified ecosystems to improve their ability to store and sequester carbon and avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Recent projections estimate that terrestrial NbIs can lead to more than one-third of the climate change mitigation necessary to meet the Paris Climate Agreement by 2030. Further, these interventions can provide co-benefits in the form of social and ecological outcomes. Despite growing recognition of the potential benefits, a clear characterization of the distribution and occurrence of evidence which supports linkages between different types of NbIs and outcomes for climate change mitigation, ecosystems, and people remains poorly understood. Methods: This systematic map assesses the evidence base on the links between NbIs and climate change mitigation, social, and ecological outcomes in tropical and subtropical terrestrial regions. We searched three bibliographic databases, 65 organization websites, and conducted backward citation chasing within 39 existing evidence syntheses to identify relevant articles. Additionally, we reached out to key informants for additional sources of evidence. We then used machine learning to rank returned results by relevance at the title and abstract stage and manually screened for inclusion using predefined criteria at the title, abstract, and full text stages. We extracted relevant meta-data from included articles using an a priori coding scheme. Lastly, we conducted a targeted, complementary search to identify relevant review and synthesis articles to provide broader context for the findings of the systematic map. Review findings: We included 948 articles in this systematic map. Most of the evidence base (56%) examined links between protection, natural resource management, and restoration interventions with changes to 'proxy' outcomes for climate change mitigation (changes to land condition, land cover, and/or land use). Other areas with high occurrence of articles included linkages between interventions within natural resource management and trees in croplands categories and changes to aboveground carbon storage and/or sequestration (17% of articles). A key knowledge gap was on measured changes in GHG emissions across all intervention types (6% of articles). Overall, articles in the evidence base did not often assess changes in co-benefits alongside direct or indirect changes for climate change mitigation (32%). In most cases, the evidence base contained studies which did not explicitly test for causal linkages using appropriate experimental or quasi-experimental designs. Conclusions: The evidence base for NbIs is significant and growing; however, key gaps in knowledge hamper the ability to inform ongoing and future investment and implementation at scale. More comprehensive evidence is needed to support causal inference between NbIs and direct outcomes for climate change mitigation to better determine additionality, permanence, leakage, and other unintended consequences. Similarly, priorities emerging from this map include the need for coordinated and harmonized efforts to collect diverse data types to better understand whether and how other outcomes (e.g. social, ecological) of NbIs can be achieved synergistically with mitigation objectives. Understanding potential benefits and trade-offs of NbIs is particularly urgent to inform rapidly expanding carbon markets for nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial crops replacing annual crops are drawing global attention because they harbor potential for sustainable biomass production and climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration. At present, it remains unclear how long perennial crops can sequester carbon in the soil and how soil carbon stock dynamics are influenced by climate, soil, and plant properties across the globe. This study presents a meta-analysis synthesizing 51 publications (351 observations at 77 sites) distributed over different pedo-climatic conditions to scrutinize the effect of perennialization on organic carbon accumulation in soil compared with two annual benchmark systems (i.e., monoculture and crop rotation). Results showed that perennial crops significantly increased soil organic carbon stock by 16.6% and 23.1% at 0–30 cm depth compared with monoculture and crop rotation, respectively. Shortly after establishment (< 5 years), perennial crops revealed a negative impact on soil organic carbon stock; however, long duration (> 10 years) of perennialization had a significant positive effect on soil organic carbon stock by 30% and 36.4% at 0–30 cm depth compared with monoculture and crop rotation, respectively. Compared with both annual systems, perennial crops significantly increased soil organic carbon stock regardless of their functional photosynthetic types (C3, C4, or C3-C4 intermediates) and vegetation type (woody or herbaceous). Among other factors, pH had a significant impact on soil organic carbon; however, the effect of soil textures showed no significant impact, possibly due to a lack of observations from each textural class and mixed pedoclimatic effects. Results also showed that time effect of perennialization revealed a sigmoidal increase of soil organic carbon stock until about 20 years; thereafter, the soil carbon stocks advanced towards a steady-state level. In conclusion, perennial crops increased soil organic carbon stock compared with annual systems; however, the time since conversion from annual to perennial system decisively impacted soil organic carbon stock changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon is the carbon storage in vegetated coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass. It is gaining global attention as its role in climate change mitigation and local welfare growth. However, a global assessment on the long-term spatiotemporal sustainable development status of blue carbon has not been conducted, and the relations among blue carbon ecosystems, driving forces for climate change mitigation, and socioeconomic interventions for development capacity on a global scale are still unclear. Here, we constructed a blue carbon development index (BCDI), comprising three subsystems: driving force, resource endowment, and development capacity, to assess the sustainable development level of 136 coastal countries' blue carbon over 24 consecutive years and explore the relationship among subsystems. We further propose a cooperation model to explore the feasibility of global blue carbon cooperation and quantify benefit allocation to specific countries. The results showed an upward trend in BCDI scores with variations in regional performance over the past two decades, and we found a positive correlation between development capacity and blue carbon resource endowment. Based on the scenario simulations of global cooperation, we found that coastal countries could improve the global average BCDI score, add 2.96 Mt of annual carbon sequestration, and generate $136.34 million in 2030 under Global Deep Cooperation scenario compared with the Business-As-Usual scenario. Sustainable development of blue carbon has increased globally over the past two decades. Global cooperation could enable countries to improve blue carbon sustainable development, increase carbon sequestration, and generate up to $136.34 million in 2030 in economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the looming land scarcity for agriculture, cropland abandonment is widespread globally. Abandoned cropland can be reused to support food security and climate change mitigation. Here, we investigate the potentials and trade-offs of using global abandoned cropland for recultivation and restoring forests by natural regrowth, with spatially-explicit modelling and scenario analysis. We identify 101 Mha of abandoned cropland between 1992 and 2020, with a capability of concurrently delivering 29 to 363 Peta-calories yr-1 of food production potential and 290 to 1,066 MtCO2 yr-1 of net climate change mitigation potential, depending on land-use suitability and land allocation strategies. We also show that applying spatial prioritization is key to maximizing the achievable potentials of abandoned cropland and demonstrate other possible approaches to further increase these potentials. Our findings offer timely insights into the potentials of abandoned cropland and can inform sustainable land management to buttress food security and climate goals. This work demonstrates how global abandoned cropland is an untapped land resource. If recultivated and reforested strategically, it can provide substantial carbon sequestration and food production potential to support our shared climate and food security goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article aims to acknowledge the multifaceted functions of soil, and given its status as the largest terrestrial carbon store, to reaffirm its previously established importance in carbon sequestration. The article outlines the key variables that affect soil's ability to trap carbon and highlights the significance of soil in halting climate change. A bibliometric study of seven sets of keywords relating to the significance of soil in carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation laid the foundation for this review. The literature review that followed, which was based on the bibliometric analysis, concentrated on carbon sequestration and the impact of the key factors that affect the amount of organic carbon in soil, including (1) climatic conditions; (2) topography; (3) parent material; (4) organisms; and (5) soil qualities. The goal of this review article is to recognize the diverse roles of soil, while reasserting its well-documented significance in carbon sequestration. This is particularly important considering soil's position as the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the importance of establishing a regionally focused and coordinated carbon dioxide removal (CDR) science-policy platform in southern Africa. The topics include the significance of CDR in steering the planet towards a safe climate, the challenges and opportunities associated with CDR interventions, and the need for governance mechanisms, technologies, and scientific capabilities to support CDR development.

B You have described Africa as a source of the solutions to climate change rather than as a victim. B You've talked about the combination of massive renewable energy potential, and a lack of current carbon emissions to abate, as a combination of factors making Africa uniquely appropriate for developing large-scale carbon removal efforts. By leapfrogging to low/no emissions technologies and solutions for its own production and consumption, Africa can avoid the emissions-intensive approach to growth that would otherwise add between 10 and 15 GT of annual emissions by 2050. [Extracted from the article]

Bamboo, a rapidly growing woody grass prevalent in pan-tropical zones, holds promising potential as a nature-based solution (NbS) for climate change mitigation. In this systematic review of 91 research articles, we critically assess the scope and constraints of bamboo's role in mitigating climate change across three dimensions: as a carbon sink in biomass form, as carbon storage in bamboo products, and as a contributor to carbon project credits. Our analysis reveals that existing studies disproportionately focus on 36 limited species, such as Phyllostachys pubescens and Bambusa vulgaris, with geographic concentration in Asia (91%) and limited studies from Africa (7%) and South America (1%). While many studies emphasize the carbon-saving benefits of bamboo products compared with traditional goods, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive evaluations of carbon pools from individual bamboo forests encompassing all product varieties. While bamboo forests offer significant carbon trading potential, their global role is restricted by the absence of internationally accepted methodologies and the presence of debates about classifying bamboo as a tree species. This extensive review highlights the multifaceted value of bamboo in climate change mitigation, thereby highlighting its significance as a critical component for informed policymaking and the development of sustainable practices in future climate strategies worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers are adopting different agroforestry practices, but comparative studies between the practices based on ecosystem functions are often ignored. We assessed species composition and carbon stock in two different agroforestry practices (traditional and improved) adopted in the mid-hills of Nepal. We found higher species richness and dominancy of Citrus synenssis (fruit species) in the improved practice, whereas we found higher species evenness, diversity, and dominance of Ficus clavata (fodder species) in the traditional practice. 0.35 of the similarity index between the two practices indicated that there was 65% difference in species number between the two practices. The improved practice had larger trees with higher frequency compared to traditional practice. The carbon inventory reflected that the total carbon stock between the two practices was insignificant, whereas the total biomass carbon was significantly higher in the improved practice than in the traditional practice. Therefore, improvement in traditional practices has the potential to increase biomass and sequester more carbon within the same unit of land. However, maintaining species diversity is a concern in the improved practice. We suggest policymakers and concerned stakeholders for prioritizing improved agroforestry practice and maintain species diversity while designing strategies for agroforestry promotion and climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate warming caused by greenhouse gases poses a great threat to human living and biological ecosystems. To mitigate climate change, many measures have been taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Among them, the forest carbon sink (FCS) is considered as one of the most economical and effective carbon sequestration methods to realize carbon emission reductions in next 30 to 50 years. FCS projects are being implemented in many countries to increase their carbon sequestration and thereby to realize carbon emission reductions. However, there are some issues associated with implementation with such policies. Firstly, these projects mainly have focused only on carbon sequestration and have ignored the comprehensive ecological effects to obtain their best economical benefits. Secondly, implementing these projects fails to establish a sustainable and healthy forest industry because they place too much reliance on preferential policies from governments. Finally, the projects lack systematic technological standards and legislation to guarantee their smooth implementation. This editorial briefly discusses these issues for the suitable implementation of the FCS projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]