Dynamism of Carbon Sequestration in Ecosystems and Its Role in Ecological Functioning

Organic matter is a key component of soil because it influences its structural, chemical, and biological properties, as well as its proper functioning. Although carbon is a crucial component in soil, its elevated levels in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times are warming the Earth relatively. The mechanism of harvesting CO2 from the atmosphere is known as carbon sequestration. Enhanced SOM boosts plant productivity through improved water and nutrient retention in natural and agricultural settings. Soils hold almost three times more carbon than the atmosphere, thus becoming the largest land-based carbon pool. According to the IPCC, croplands and grasslands sequester 0.4–8.6 Gt CO2 year−1. The oceans, on the other hand, are the world’s greatest sink of atmospheric carbon. However, due to the untapped potential of the different ecosystems in order to sequester atmospheric carbon, this chapter tries to understand the dynamism of carbon sequestration among different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and highlights some processes and amendments in the soil that can enhance carbon sequestration and discusses its impacts on the regular functioning of ecosystems and its services.