Calculating soil carbon? Hello, public data.
Measuring the carbon in soil is an involved process. The tried-and-true method is sending people out into the field to dig — remote methods like satellites and models, although cheaper, have never been as accurate as on-site samples. A recent study out of Urbana Champaign may be a step forward. Using public soil data on cover cropping in the Midwest, researchers were able to predict how much carbon had accrued over a set time period with less than 5% error. Their findings support how powerful modeling could become as a tool for verifying agricultural carbon removal and compensating farmers who adopt climate-smart practices. The study also underscores the necessity of compiling local soil data for a wider range of practices and for many more parts of the country. The upcoming Farm Bill is a vital steppingstone towards standardizing and expanding data collection (and you can read our memo to learn more about it).
— Charlotte Levy, C180 Senior Science and Innovation Advisor
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