“This work indicates that soils have a weaker capacity to soak up carbon than we have been assuming over the past few decades,” said UCI Chancellor’s Professor of Earth system science James Randerson, senior author of a new study on the subject to be published in the journal Science. “It means we have to be even more proactive in finding ways to cut emissions of fossil fuels to limit the magnitude and impacts of climate warming.”

University of California, Irvine. “Soil will absorb less atmospheric carbon than expected this century, study finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 September 2016. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160922085737.htm

Yujie He et al. Radiocarbon constraints imply reduced carbon uptake by soils during the 21st century. Science, September 2016 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad4273