An Evaluation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration in the Brayford Campus

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a key potential natural climate solution to mitigate global climate change. Soil holds 3 times as much carbon as the atmosphere, but the SOC within urban environments is rarely quantified. This study measured SOC in soils within the Brayford Campus in relation to habitat type to estimate the soil carbon levels to determine how land use influences the carbon balance within soils at the University of Lincoln. SOC differed across habitat types with the largest mean SOC levels found in broadleaved woodland (14%) and the lowest in non-native hedgerow (4%). Woodland (wet and broadleaved), and mixed scrubland were associated with high SOC levels and were recommended for future planting at the university.