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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Communications Earth & Environment

Weathering-derived calcium supports carbon storage in grassland soils

  • E. W. Slessarev
  • H. R. Goertzen
  • R. A. Lybrand
  • K. J. McFarlane
  • J. Pett-Ridge
  • N. W. Sokol
  • D. G. Zaharescu
  • K. Georgiou
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Abstract

Dark colored grassland soils, known as Mollisols, are intensively farmed and rich in organic matter, and hence have an important role in the carbon cycle. Organic carbon storage in Mollisols may result from interactions between organic matter and calcium released by carbonate and silicate weathering. Here we test this hypothesis by using a geochemical model to simulate calcium release from weathering in soils across the USA. We find that calcium released by mineral weathering is associated with soil organic carbon storage and that this effect is stronger in Mollisols than in non-Mollisols. Our model also shows that agriculture has increased calcium inputs to cultivated USA Mollisols 4-5 fold, indicating that humans have fundamentally changed the geochemical conditions that sustain organic carbon in these soils. By implication, moderating the quantity of and timing of calcium release may help to preserve and restore carbon in the world’s most intensively farmed landscapes.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{slessarev2026weatheringderived,
  title = {{Weathering-derived calcium supports carbon storage in grassland soils}},
  author = {E. W. Slessarev and H. R. Goertzen and R. A. Lybrand and K. J. McFarlane and J. Pett-Ridge and N. W. Sokol and D. G. Zaharescu and K. Georgiou},
  journal = {Communications Earth \& Environment},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-04142-2},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-026-04142-2},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Weathering-derived calcium supports carbon storage in grassland soils
AU  - E. W. Slessarev
AU  - H. R. Goertzen
AU  - R. A. Lybrand
AU  - K. J. McFarlane
AU  - J. Pett-Ridge
AU  - N. W. Sokol
AU  - D. G. Zaharescu
AU  - K. Georgiou
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/13
JO  - Communications Earth & Environment
DO  - 10.1038/s43247-026-04142-2
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-026-04142-2
AB  - Dark colored grassland soils, known as Mollisols, are intensively farmed and rich in organic matter, and hence have an important role in the carbon cycle. Organic carbon storage in Mollisols may result from interactions between organic matter and calcium released by carbonate and silicate weathering. Here we test this hypothesis by using a geochemical model to simulate calcium release from weathering in soils across the USA. We find that calcium released by mineral weathering is associated with soil organic carbon storage and that this effect is stronger in Mollisols than in non-Mollisols. Our model also shows that agriculture has increased calcium inputs to cultivated USA Mollisols 4-5 fold, indicating that humans have fundamentally changed the geochemical conditions that sustain organic carbon in these soils. By implication, moderating the quantity of and timing of calcium release may help to preserve and restore carbon in the world’s most intensively farmed landscapes.
SN  - 2662-4435
ER  -