Soils

Global
warming
key to unlocking
the potential
of mitigating
and adapting to a
changing SDG CLIMATE ADAPT / MITIGATE
ACTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Temperature
increase
CO2 CO2
climate
Plant
photosynthesis
CO2 CO2
CO2

CO2 CO2 CO2

C
CO2
CO2
Unsustainable Litter Sustainable
Emissions CO2
soil management fall
= Soil Organic
Secretions
= Soil Organic
soil management
leads to soil degradation Crop/plant Matter fosters CO2 sequestration
Matter Soil
CO2 and CO2 emission residues to boost soil health Soil
Organic
Carbon
CO2 Soil into the atmosphere = Soil Organic and contribute to Soil
Organic
Carbon Soil
CO2
Soil
Organic
Carbon Matter Soil Soil
Organic
Organic
Organic Organic
Carbon
Organic achieving SDGs Carbon Carbon Soil
Organic
Carbon

Soil Intensive Matter Soil

Organic
Carbon
Soil Soil Soil
Organic
Carbon
Organic
Carbon
Organic tillage Soil
Soil
Organic
Soil
Organic
Carbon Organic
Carbon
Soil Carbon Overuse of Organic
Carbon
Carbon Carbon Soil
Organic
Organic
Carbon agro-chemicals Carbon
Soil
Organic Soil Soil
Soil Organic
Carbon Soil Organic Organic
Organic Soil Carbon
Soil Carbon Soil Soil Conserving Organic
Carbon
Carbon Carbon Soil
Organic
Organic
Carbon Soil Organic Organic /increasing Carbon
Organic Carbon Carbon soil biodiversity Soil
Soil Soil Soil
Organic
Carbon
Wetland Soil Organic Soil
Organic
Carbon
Organic
Carbon
Removal of Soil / peatland Organic Carbon Organic
Carbon
Carbon
Soil
Carbon Organic
vegetation cover Organic
Carbon drainage Carbon
Soil Soil
Organic Soil Organic Soil
Carbon Urbanization Organic Carbon Organic
Better
/ soil sealing Implementation Carbon Carbon
soil surface
of the VGSSM* Increasing coverage
750 Pg C * soil organic
in the ATMOSPHERE matter inputs Crop
rotation /
Reduction of diversification
Loss of soil organic matter
Monocropping structure inputs * Voluntary Guidelines
for Sustainable Soil
Management Reduced
tillage
Reduce soil
560 Pg C in VEGETATION
* contamination

Preserving
Soil erosion 1417 Pg C * in the 1 st meter of SOIL wetlands
Soil /disturbance Monitoring
/peatlands soil organic
compaction
carbon stocks
2500 Pg C * at 2 meters SOIL depth

with the support of

©FAO 2016 - I6478EN

There is more Organic Carbon in our Soil
than in vegetation and the atmosphere combined
* Pg C = Petagram of Carbon - 1 Pg = 1015 g = 1 Gigatons