Soil carbon sequestration and land use: A spatial analysis from Kłodzko County, SW Poland

The complex interplay between soil characteristics and land management practices plays a crucial role in shaping terrestrial carbon sequestration potential, a process widely recognised as a key component of climate change mitigation strategies. In regions characterised by high pedodiversity, such as those found in Central Europe, integrated analyses combining detailed soil survey data with land cover classifications reveal pronounced spatial mismatches between the inherent soil carbon storage capacity and prevailing land use patterns. While forest and grassland ecosystems generally optimise carbon retention on organic-rich soils, the continuing expansion of agriculture, infrastructure, and urban areas often leads to the degradation and fragmentation of these natural carbon sinks. Such land use changes frequently reduce soil organic carbon stocks, weaken ecosystem resilience, and limit the capacity to buffer climate extremes. Despite their fundamental role in regulating biogeochemical cycles, the ecological value of soils as carbon reservoirs remains underrepresented in spatial planning frameworks, which still tend to prioritise short-term productivity over long-term ecosystem functionality. This oversight contributes to the vulnerability of carbon-dense soils to irreversible losses and undermines broader climate adaptation efforts. Shifting towards a land-use planning paradigm that systematically incorporates ecosystem service valuation – particularly carbon storage potential – would mark a transformative step in environmental governance. Using Kłodzko County as a case study, this research develops a transferable methodological framework that links soil typology with land management regimes, offering decision- makers practical, spatially explicit tools to strengthen climate resilience through more sustainable and ecologically informed development strategies.