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
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Adding anaerobic digestate to commercial farm fields increases soil organic carbon S. Villarino et al. 10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101942
- Soil organic carbon fractions and storage potential in Finnish arable soils A. Salonen et al. 10.1111/ejss.13527
- 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
- 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
- Legacy of severe soil degradation hinders the buildup of mineral-associated soil organic carbon O. Leal et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179445
- Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al. T. Mattila & J. Liski 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121507
- 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
- The legacy of deep ploughing and liming – A 1990s experimental site revisited J. Hyväluoma et al. 10.1016/j.still.2024.106323
- Narrowing the soil carbon gap in croplands H. Blanco-Canqui 10.1088/1748-9326/adc3ae
- 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
- 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
- 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
14 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Adding anaerobic digestate to commercial farm fields increases soil organic carbon S. Villarino et al. 10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101942
- Soil organic carbon fractions and storage potential in Finnish arable soils A. Salonen et al. 10.1111/ejss.13527
- 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
- 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
- Legacy of severe soil degradation hinders the buildup of mineral-associated soil organic carbon O. Leal et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179445
- Restoring lost soil carbon, reply to Soinne et al. T. Mattila & J. Liski 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121507
- 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
- The legacy of deep ploughing and liming – A 1990s experimental site revisited J. Hyväluoma et al. 10.1016/j.still.2024.106323
- Narrowing the soil carbon gap in croplands H. Blanco-Canqui 10.1088/1748-9326/adc3ae
- 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
- 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
- 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: 06 Jun 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...
