Global Soil Organic Carbon Database (at 30 arcsec)

The most of the global organic carbon is stored in the forest soil. The large quantity of CO2 emitted from soil is a consequence of land use change, both through human activities (e.g. agriculture) or natural hazards (e.g. flooding, landslides, erosion). A net carbon loss from soils adds to the increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration, probably leading to higher global temperatures. On the other hand, a net soil CO2 sequestration could help to mitigate the greenhouse effect and to improve soil quality. In this purpose, identifying areas suitable for projects aimed to reduce emissions through SOC sequestration, is of the most importance for both developed and developing countries. This report describes the sources and procedures used to develop a global database for SOC content. The FAO approaches and methodologies provided by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, play a crucial role in this process. Global Soil Organic Carbon Database (at 30 arcsec). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317958234_Global_Soil_Organic_Carbon_Database_at_30_arcsec [accessed Sep 5, 2017].