 Welcome! The National Soil Carbon Network (NSCN) is a community of scientists working to facilitate large-scale synthesis of soil carbon research in the United States and internationally. The Network is designed to enhance communication, collaboration, and the efficient use of scientific resources, in order to advance the understanding of carbon dynamics in soils. General membership is open to anyone with an interest in soil carbon science, and offers opportunities to:
- Coordinate soil carbon observation, archiving, experimentation and modeling with other researchers
- Understand relationships between soil carbon and ecosystem services
- Utilize shared data products and scientific resources to forecast soil carbon vulnerability under changing climate, land use, etc.
- Organize and communicate scientific information for land managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders
The Network's policies, activities, and growth are guided by a Scientific Steering Group and formally ratified Charter.
Membership: Click here to join the NSCN. Some features on this website are only available to members, so click the link to join (if necessary, confirm a security exception to reach the signup page).Database: Information about the NSCN Database or access to its contents is available from any page on this website by clicking the 'Dataset Information' or 'Data Browsing' links in the blue menu bar at the top of the page. Mouse-over either link to select from a list of files with documentation pertaining to the page content. Community: This website has a blog and a forum available for member communication. These features, plus links to organizational documents and activities, are accessible from 'The Community' link in the blue menu bar at the top of any page on this website.Scientific contributions: Contribute data or information about archived samples to add collaborative value to these important scientific resources.
Links and related resources: This links page can direct you to analytical services, data sources, research networks and other soil-related information.
Soil is a vital resource and soil carbon is an integral component of soil structure and function. Soil is the largest terrestrial reservoir of carbon, containing an estimated 1550 Pg of organic carbon in the top meter alone. Soil contains twice as much carbon as the atmosphere (800 Pg in 2007), and three times that in global vegetation (~500 Pg). Although the global stock of soil carbon is immense, it is not static: about 120 Pg of carbon moves annually between soil and the carbon reservoirs in the atmosphere and vegetation. Soil carbon may thus play a singular but uncertain role in climate forcing during the coming decades, with significant net losses contributing to positive feedbacks, or significant sequestration helping to mitigate climate forcing.
Though important, climate regulation is not the only service provided by soil carbon. In fact, carbon held in soils provides a number of essential other services (i.e., ecosystem services) that either directly or indirectly support human well-being. For example, carbon held in soils plays a vital role in the improvement soil tilth, retention and supply of plant nutrients, isolation and decomposition of wastes and toxic substances, production of food and fiber, water retention and supply, flood protection, reduction of wind and water erosion, and maintenance of biodiversity. The loss of soil carbon or disruption of its cycling may impair the ecosystem services it provides, with consequent negative impacts on society.
The NSCN gratefully acknowledges institutional and financial support from:
   
  
  
   
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Photos by J. Harden and J. Jastrowe
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