Uptake and Release—What Is Driving Change in the Net Carbon Budget in Forest Soils?

Citation

Parker TC & Subke J (2026) Uptake and Release—What Is Driving Change in the Net Carbon Budget in Forest Soils?. Global Change Biology, 32 (2), Art. No.: e70729. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70729

Abstract
First paragraph: It is well established that soils are a significant store of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems—very few papers on soil carbon dynamics fail to mention the fact that there is more carbon stored in global soils than in vegetation and the atmosphere combined. This is generally correctly cited to justify research into the processes driving changes in soil carbon storage, and how management of land use can help protect this store. Meanwhile, mitigation of climate change by enhanced carbon sequestration through increasing tree cover across Earth's biomes is regularly discussed in scientific literature and policy. There has been a vigorous debate over the validity of tree establishment in specific contexts and the usefulness of tree planting targets for carbon off-sets in net-zero policies.

Keywords
climate change; forests; priming; soil carbon; stabilisation; turnover

Journal
Global Change Biology: Volume 32, Issue 2