ABSTRACT
The climate–soil interaction goes back to the origin of Earth and the solar system. The initial atmosphere, 4.5–5 billion years ago, consisted of H2 and He, and these light gases escaped into space. These gases were replaced by a secondary atmosphere consisting of a mixture of gases attributed to outgassing and accretion. With the weathering of rocks, the formation of soil, and the gradual increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, soil became a sink of atmospheric CO2 and oxidation of CH4. Over billions of years, soil has become the largest reservoir of terrestrial C pool. Soil moderates climates at the micro, meso, and macro scales, and over short and long time horizons. The strong link between soil health and climate change is receiving global attention. Accelerated soil erosion preferentially removes the SOC faction, as is indicated by a high enrichment ratio. It is important to translate generic soil management/adaptation principles into soil-specific management options for validation and fine-tuning.
