Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Soil Organic Carbon And Mineralization Rates At The Woolsey Wet Prairie Mitigation Site In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Zachary Tipton, Lisa S. Wood, Mary Savin, Benjamin R. Runkle

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are rapidly increasing, surpassing 400 ppm in 2013 from a pre-industrial revolution level of around 280 ppm. Researchers have been looking at methods to reduce CO₂ levels in the atmosphere, including promoting carbon sequestration in soils. Carbon sequestration is the process where CO₂ is naturally or artificially transferred out of the atmosphere and stored in the ocean, plant biomass, soils, and geologic formations. Seemingly contradictory to the notion of carbon sequestration is the use of fire as a management treatment for the restoration of native prairie grass ecosystems. Fire combusts plant …