Soil carbon sponge

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Soil carbon sponge is healthy, porous soil that can soak up and hold water well. It stores carbon and is lighter and looser than degraded soil, helping plants grow and keeping more water in the ground. This structure can also help cool the land by supporting green vegetation and more cloud formation.

Poor farming practices—like leaving soil bare, tilling a lot, using lots of fertilizers and chemicals, and overwatering—wear down the sponge and release carbon as CO2. Fire and flooding can also harm it. If soil carbon sponges are stronger worldwide, they could influence climate by guiding how water moves in the landscape and by cooling the surface.

Ways to improve them include planting trees (afforestation and reforestation) and using cover crops. These practices boost organic carbon, protect soil, and reduce erosion.

There is some evidence from the southern Amazon that trees may help trigger rainfall by releasing water vapor that forms clouds; cutting forests could reduce this rainfall, which could further affect soil carbon and climate.