Natural and Human-Induced Factors on the Accumulation and Migration of Pedogenic Carbonate in Soil: A Review

Reza Khalidy, Emmanuelle Arnaud and Rafael M. Santos ()
Additional contact information
Reza Khalidy: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Emmanuelle Arnaud: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Rafael M. Santos: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: As a principal part of the atmosphere–lithosphere interface, soil plays a key role in regulating the atmospheric CO 2 concentration and global climate. Comprising two major pools (carbonate in soils and bicarbonate in groundwater), soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is deemed as the primary carbon (C) sink and source in areas with low mean annual rainfall. SIC may originate from soil parent material or from the formation of secondary carbonate when divalent cations from an extraneous source are supplied. The latter may result in pedogenic carbonate (PC) formation, increasing soil C content and sequestering atmospheric carbon. Since the sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 through formation of pedogenic carbonate is gaining popularity as a method to support climate change mitigation efforts and to claim carbon credits, the mechanisms influencing the formation and migration of pedogenic carbonate need to be well understood. The present review provides an overview of the available literature on potential natural and anthropogenic factors influencing the pedogenic carbonate pool in soils. Firstly, the overall mechanisms of pedogenic carbonate formation, as well as the control factors, are described. Secondly, the impact of various land-use changes on pedogenic carbon pool modification is discussed. Then, the potential of stabilizing atmospheric CO 2 through PC formation and the challenges and techniques of tracking the formation of PC through engineered pathways in soils are explored. Finally, isotopic signature as a technique for distinguishing neo-formed carbonate in soil is scrutinized.

Keywords: pedogenic carbonate; enhanced rock weathering; CO 2 mineralization; precipitated carbonate; climate regulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1448/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1448/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:9:p:1448-:d:904226

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().