Exploring Soil Pollution and Environmental Impact Quiz

Eighty-seven percent

Soils contain a lot of carbon that plants took in from the atmosphere while they were alive. Especially in colder climates where decomposition is slow, soils can sequester this carbon for a very long time.

Converting natural ecosystems like forests and grasslands to farmland disturbs soil structure, releasing much of the stored carbon and contributing to climate change.

<p>About 110 billion</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Department of Civil Engineering</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Soils sustain eighty-seven percent of life forms on the planet, including microbes, worms, insects, birds, animals, human beings, plants, trees, and other vegetation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Soils contain a lot of carbon, which is obtained from the atmosphere by plants during their lifetime. In colder climates, where decomposition is slow, soils can sequester this carbon for a long time. Without soil, this carbon would return to the atmosphere as CO2, a greenhouse gas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Converting natural ecosystems to farmland disturbs soil structure, releasing much of the stored carbon and contributing to climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The growth of farmland over the past 12,000 years has released about 110 billion tons of carbon, contributing to climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Soil-based carbon sequestration is significant in colder climates because decomposition is slow, allowing soils to sequester carbon for a very long time, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere as CO2.</p> Signup and view all the answers