Denitrification is an important component of the nitrogen cycle in soil, returning reactive nitrogen to the atmosphere. Denitrification activity is often concentrated spatially in anoxic microsites and temporally in ephemeral events, which presents a challenge for modelling. The anaerobic fraction of soil volume can be a useful predictor of denitrification in soils. Here, we provide a review of this soil characteristic, its co...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual, and particularly the formation of fine fraction carbon (OC fine ), has a large potential to act as sink for atmospheric CO 2 . For reliable estimates of this potential and efficient policy advice, the major limiting factors for OC fine accrual need to be understood. The upper boundary of the correlation between fine mineral particles (silt + clay) and OC fine is widely used to estimate the ma...

Aims Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of croplands can be enhanced by targeted management, which boosts soil fertility and contributes to climate change mitigation. One SOC sequestration option is adopting cover crops. The aim of this study was to quantify the SOC sequestration potential of cover crops in Germany. Methods We simulated SOC scenarios on 1,267 cropland sites with site-specific management data using an SOC model e...

Purpose Flower strips have been shown to increase insect biodiversity and improve agricultural yields through increased pollination and pest predation. Less is known about their potential to increase soil organic carbon (SOC). We aimed to investigate the biomass production and SOC sequestration potential of flower strips as a sustainable management option of temperate agricultural soils. Methods 23 flower strips across varying...