Many surface soils in the southwest of Western Australia are already storing as much carbon as they can, a study has found.
Researchers discovered that in agricultural regions of the state, the first 10 centimetres of soil were often carrying as much carbon as possible under current climate and management practices.
However, under certain conditions, layers between 10 and 30 centimetres below ground could theoretically store twice as much as they currently do.
Changes to management practices that increase organic carbon in soil may offset greenhouse gas emissions and could improve soil fertility and plant growth.
Read more at University of Western Australia