Vegetation contributes significantly to long-term carbon sequestration through biomass and soil storage
Extensive research demonstrates that vegetation significantly contributes to long-term carbon sequestration through above-ground biomass accumulation and the enhancement of soil organic carbon stocks, though local microbial dynamics and environmental conditions can modulate these storage capacities.
The claim is specific, empirical, and testable. The retrieved literature overwhelmingly supports the foundational ecological principle that vegetation (via plant biomass, litter input, and forest succession) plays a critical role in long-term carbon sequestration in both plant tissues and underlying soils. While paper [0] highlights a specific context where forest encroachment can increase decomposition and reduce carbon sinks in tundra transitions, the vast majority of studies (e.g., [1], [4], [5], [6], [8]) confirm the primary role of vegetation and associated soil storage in carbon sequestration.
A. Nijmeijer, P. Lauri, J. Harmand, G. T. Freschet, Jean-Daniel Essobo Nieboukaho, P. K. Fogang, Séguy Enock, S. Saj. Long-term dynamics of cocoa agroforestry systems established on lands previously occupied by savannah or forests. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGEE.2019.02.004
Long-term chronosequence analysis demonstrates that carbon storage and soil quality in agroforestry systems are significantly influenced by vegetation over decades.
K. Clemmensen, M. Durling, A. Michelsen, S. Hallin, R. Finlay, Björn D. Lindahl. A tipping point in carbon storage when forest expands into tundra is related to mycorrhizal recycling of nitrogen.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13735
Research on tundra-to-forest expansion shows that certain tree-associated fungi can accelerate decomposition, potentially decreasing overall carbon sink capacity in specific transitional zones.
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Melani Cortijos-López, P. Sánchez‐Navarrete, T. Lasanta, E. Cammeraat, E. Nadal‐Romero. Afforestation, Natural Secondary Forest or Dehesas? Looking for the Best Post-Abandonment Forest Management for Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Mediterranean Mountains. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010166
Different forest types and management systems in Mediterranean mountains exhibit substantial capacity for soil organic carbon accumulation over time.
Meng Yang, Xiaomeng He, Jing Liang, Qiang Liu, Lihua Fu, Xiaodong Cui, Shaohui Huang, Haoan Luan. Linkage of living microbial biomass, function, and necromass to soil organic carbon storage along a chronosequence of Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in North China. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1588030
Stand development and reforestation drive microbial biomass dynamics that contribute to long-term soil organic carbon sequestration.
Junliang Zou, Ju-ying Wu, B. Osborne, B. Tobin, Yiqi Luo. Nitrogen accumulation, rather than carbon: nitrogen stoichiometric variation, underlies carbon storage during forest succession. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe06e
Global synthesis shows that vegetation and plant-derived litter pools store substantial carbon, with nitrogen accumulation strongly supporting long-term forest carbon sequestration.
Zhu J, Zhang S, Chen C, Li C. Effect of ecological restoration on carbon storage of damaged mountain slope in China's East Ussuri River Basin.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19854
Ecological restoration studies indicate that vegetation layers and plant density play a primary role in building carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems.
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