Soils, like the oceans and the atmosphere are fundamentally important in relation to the planetary cycling of carbon and nitrogen, and therefore the release and uptake of greenhouse gasses (GHGs).
The continual flux of carbon and nitrogen and the different forms that these elements exist in underpins the dynamics of climate change. Understanding how the management of the soils that we farm fits in with these cycles enables us to make informed choices about the effect of our farming systems on our soils and the effect those practices can have on GHG emissions from our farm.
It is helpful to have a basic understanding of both the carbon and the nitrogen cycles to get a grasp of what's going on in the soil.
Topics covered in this section
Emissions from soil is a complex issue; as such we have broken it down into the following areas. Use the top menu or the links below to navigate through the topics and find out how to manage soil to minimise emissions.