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Project title

Predicting soil carbon sequestration potential of Irish soils

Primary Funding Agency

Teagasc

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

Soil organic carbon is recognised as both a keystone indicator of soil quality and a potential mitigation strategy to offset carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, soil carbon sequestration has dual benefits in society for ensuring soil productivity and in combating climate change. To enable land use and land use management for soil carbon it is important to first understand the soil carbon sequestration potential of Irish soils. This project will utilise two national scale soil spectral libraries, generated for the Irish Soil Information (SIS) System and the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) Terra Soil Project, that will provide soil chemical and geochemical reference information. The objective of the proposed project is to develop chemometric models to predict soil organic carbon from spectral data to enable soil carbon saturation potential to be predicted and mapped for Irish soils. Supervised learning algorithms, such as Random Decision Forests, will be used to develop a global model (i.e. a model for the whole country) to predict soil organic carbon concentration based on the Irish SIS. Soil carbon saturation potential will be calculated from soil organic carbon, clay and silt. A spectrally derived method for soil carbon saturation potential will be developed and used to predict and map soil carbon saturation potential for the Terra Soil Project. The natural variability of Irish soils will be spectrally characterised and the extent to which soil factors such as soil texture, soil type, parent material, soil geochemistry and soil drainage class control current soil carbon will be assessed. The potential for soil carbon sequestration in Ireland will be determined, including the soils and locations of highest soil carbon sequestration potential and the most vulnerable soils for soil carbon loss.�

Grant Approved

�96,000.00

Research Hub

Climate research

Research Theme

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Start Date

22/11/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

21/11/2025