Articles | Volume 10, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
SOIL Letters
| Highlight paper
| 
15 Apr 2024
SOIL Letters | Highlight paper |
| 15 Apr 2024
| 15 Apr 2024
The six rights of how and when to test for soil C saturation
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
Sebastian Doetterl
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
Moritz Laub
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
Claude R. Müller
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
Marijn Van de Broek
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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Cited
28 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Accumulation of Soil Microbial Necromass Controlled by Microbe–Mineral Interactions Q. Zhao et al. 10.1021/acs.est.5c01482
- Soil organic carbon fractions and storage potential in Finnish arable soils A. Salonen et al. 10.1111/ejss.13527
- Soil carbon accrual and crop production enhanced by sustainable subsoil management Z. Kan et al. 10.1038/s41561-025-01720-5
- Evaluating DayCent and STICS in simulating the long-term impact of contrasting organic resource amendments on soil organic carbon and maize yields in sub-Saharan Africa A. Couëdel et al. 10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110169
- Enhancing Soil Carbon Storage: Developing high-resolution maps of topsoil organic carbon sequestration potential in Taiwan S. Jien et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117369
- Soil fertility matters! A new conceptual model for carbon stewardship in neotropical croplands taking climate-smart agricultural practices into account L. Mota Neto et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179407
- Measuring and Modeling Soil Carbon Changes on Dutch Dairy Farms R. Schils et al. 10.3390/land14040874
- Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al. T. Mattila & J. Liski 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121507
- Reduction in Mineral‐Associated Organic Carbon Reveal Soil Organic Matter Loss Following Grassland Degradation P. Yu et al. 10.1002/ldr.70209
- A simple pedotransfer function to estimate fine fraction organic carbon contents of surface horizons in French soils E. Rabot et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117366
- Narrowing the soil carbon gap in croplands H. Blanco-Canqui 10.1088/1748-9326/adc3ae
- The influence of fine fraction content on storage and retention of soil organic carbon in Vertisols of subtropical Australia M. Barnard et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117269
- Adding anaerobic digestate to commercial farm fields increases soil organic carbon S. Villarino et al. 10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101942
- Soil carbon sequestration in the agro-landscapes: the food imperative of the climate agenda V. Semenov et al. 10.19047/0136-1694-2025-124-10-69
- Soil carbon formation is promoted by saturation deficit and existing mineral-associated carbon, not by microbial carbon-use efficiency A. King & N. Sokol 10.1126/sciadv.adv9482
- Mapping soil organic carbon sequestration potential in croplands using a combined proximal and remote sensing approach L. Qi et al. 10.1016/j.still.2025.106733
- Response to “Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al.” by Mattila and Liski H. Soinne et al. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122493
- Soil Carbon Sequestration: A Mechanistic Perspective on Limitations and Future Possibilities S. Das et al. 10.3390/su17136015
- The soil organic carbon sequestration potential and formation efficiency of China’s temperate grasslands L. Yang et al. 10.1016/j.scib.2025.10.020
- Legacy of severe soil degradation hinders the buildup of mineral-associated soil organic carbon O. Leal et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179445
- Drivers of soil organic carbon from temperate to alpine forests: a model-based analysis of the Swiss forest soil inventory with Yasso20 C. Guidi et al. 10.5194/bg-22-4107-2025
- The legacy of deep ploughing and liming – A 1990s experimental site revisited J. Hyväluoma et al. 10.1016/j.still.2024.106323
- Soil carbon storage and retention: a critical synthesis on concepts, research opportunities and sustainable application in environmental engineering M. Antunes et al. 10.5327/Z2176-94782704
- Revisiting the soil carbon saturation concept to inform a risk index in European agricultural soils T. Breure et al. 10.1038/s41467-025-57355-y
- Using aridity as an overarching factor to advance understanding of soil organic carbon storage at the continental scale J. Lavallee et al. 10.1007/s10533-025-01273-0
- Divergence in physical, chemical, and biological soil properties caused by different long-term bare fallow management and natural succession S. Schlüter et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117361
- Afforestation, Natural Secondary Forest or Dehesas? Looking for the Best Post-Abandonment Forest Management for Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Mediterranean Mountains M. Cortijos-López et al. 10.3390/f15010166
- Evaluation of Organic Manure Amendments on Soil Carbon Saturation Deficit in a Rainfed Agriculture System of Himalaya, India J. Dinakaran et al. 10.1080/00103624.2024.2385597
26 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Accumulation of Soil Microbial Necromass Controlled by Microbe–Mineral Interactions Q. Zhao et al. 10.1021/acs.est.5c01482
- Soil organic carbon fractions and storage potential in Finnish arable soils A. Salonen et al. 10.1111/ejss.13527
- Soil carbon accrual and crop production enhanced by sustainable subsoil management Z. Kan et al. 10.1038/s41561-025-01720-5
- Evaluating DayCent and STICS in simulating the long-term impact of contrasting organic resource amendments on soil organic carbon and maize yields in sub-Saharan Africa A. Couëdel et al. 10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110169
- Enhancing Soil Carbon Storage: Developing high-resolution maps of topsoil organic carbon sequestration potential in Taiwan S. Jien et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117369
- Soil fertility matters! A new conceptual model for carbon stewardship in neotropical croplands taking climate-smart agricultural practices into account L. Mota Neto et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179407
- Measuring and Modeling Soil Carbon Changes on Dutch Dairy Farms R. Schils et al. 10.3390/land14040874
- Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al. T. Mattila & J. Liski 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121507
- Reduction in Mineral‐Associated Organic Carbon Reveal Soil Organic Matter Loss Following Grassland Degradation P. Yu et al. 10.1002/ldr.70209
- A simple pedotransfer function to estimate fine fraction organic carbon contents of surface horizons in French soils E. Rabot et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117366
- Narrowing the soil carbon gap in croplands H. Blanco-Canqui 10.1088/1748-9326/adc3ae
- The influence of fine fraction content on storage and retention of soil organic carbon in Vertisols of subtropical Australia M. Barnard et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117269
- Adding anaerobic digestate to commercial farm fields increases soil organic carbon S. Villarino et al. 10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101942
- Soil carbon sequestration in the agro-landscapes: the food imperative of the climate agenda V. Semenov et al. 10.19047/0136-1694-2025-124-10-69
- Soil carbon formation is promoted by saturation deficit and existing mineral-associated carbon, not by microbial carbon-use efficiency A. King & N. Sokol 10.1126/sciadv.adv9482
- Mapping soil organic carbon sequestration potential in croplands using a combined proximal and remote sensing approach L. Qi et al. 10.1016/j.still.2025.106733
- Response to “Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al.” by Mattila and Liski H. Soinne et al. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122493
- Soil Carbon Sequestration: A Mechanistic Perspective on Limitations and Future Possibilities S. Das et al. 10.3390/su17136015
- The soil organic carbon sequestration potential and formation efficiency of China’s temperate grasslands L. Yang et al. 10.1016/j.scib.2025.10.020
- Legacy of severe soil degradation hinders the buildup of mineral-associated soil organic carbon O. Leal et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179445
- Drivers of soil organic carbon from temperate to alpine forests: a model-based analysis of the Swiss forest soil inventory with Yasso20 C. Guidi et al. 10.5194/bg-22-4107-2025
- The legacy of deep ploughing and liming – A 1990s experimental site revisited J. Hyväluoma et al. 10.1016/j.still.2024.106323
- Soil carbon storage and retention: a critical synthesis on concepts, research opportunities and sustainable application in environmental engineering M. Antunes et al. 10.5327/Z2176-94782704
- Revisiting the soil carbon saturation concept to inform a risk index in European agricultural soils T. Breure et al. 10.1038/s41467-025-57355-y
- Using aridity as an overarching factor to advance understanding of soil organic carbon storage at the continental scale J. Lavallee et al. 10.1007/s10533-025-01273-0
- Divergence in physical, chemical, and biological soil properties caused by different long-term bare fallow management and natural succession S. Schlüter et al. 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117361
2 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Afforestation, Natural Secondary Forest or Dehesas? Looking for the Best Post-Abandonment Forest Management for Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Mediterranean Mountains M. Cortijos-López et al. 10.3390/f15010166
- Evaluation of Organic Manure Amendments on Soil Carbon Saturation Deficit in a Rainfed Agriculture System of Himalaya, India J. Dinakaran et al. 10.1080/00103624.2024.2385597
Latest update: 30 Oct 2025
Executive editor
This manuscript is published as SOIL Letters publication as it provides a timely and important contribution, formulating six fundamental principles for the robust study of soil carbon saturation. This is an important topic in research on soil carbon and its role in climate change mitigation which should be of interest to the wider geoscience community.
This manuscript is published as SOIL Letters publication as it provides a timely and important...
Short summary
Soil C saturation has been tested in several recent studies and led to a debate about its existence. We argue that, to test C saturation, one should pay attention to six fundamental principles: the right measures, the right units, the right dispersive energy and application, the right soil type, the right clay type, and the right saturation level. Once we take care of those six rights across studies, we find support for a maximum of C stabilized by minerals and thus soil C saturation.
Soil C saturation has been tested in several recent studies and led to a debate about its...
