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GSA CONNECTS 2021
2021 Michel T. Halbouty

Distinguished Lecture

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, “On Soil Erosion and Biogeochemical Cycling of
Essential Elements”
Monday, 11 Oct., 12:15–1:15 p.m. PDT
Abstract: Most of the earth’s terrestrial ecosystem is composed of sloping
landscapes, where soil organic matter dynamics are partly controlled by the mass
movement events that laterally distribute topsoil. Accurate estimation of the
global soil carbon stock or the potential of soils to sequester atmospheric carbon
dioxide are complicated by the effects of soil redistribution on net primary pro-
Asmeret Asefaw ductivity, decomposition, and physical and chemical processes that regulate per-
Berhe sistence of organic matter in soil. In this presentation, I will discuss: (1) why and
how soil erosion can constitute a C sink, and how soil erosion is being considered
within the context of global climate models; (2) the role of soil erosion on deter-
mining spatial distribution and stocks of soil organic matter (SOM), stability, and
stabilization mechanisms; and (3) emerging understanding of the role of soil ero-
sion controls of soil nitrogen and the dynamics of pyrogenic carbon post-fire. I
will conclude the presentation by highlighting remaining knowledge gaps in our
understanding of the role of soil erosion in soil phosphorus dynamics and SOM
dynamics in temperate forests and arctic ecosystems.

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14 GSA Today | July 2021