Soil has been getting a lot of attention recently for its potential to store carbon from the atmosphere. But what is the realistic potential for carbon sequestration in soils, how could we do it, and how does soil carbon work? In this talk, we will go in-depth on soil carbon: how it is formed, what controls it, how we can manage it, and how we measure it. Then, we will explore the potential of soil carbon sequestration in different Colorado ecosystems, including recent research conducted at Rock Bottom Ranch. Finally, we will discuss current efforts to better quantify soil carbon and look at the frameworks being developed to reward farmers for regenerative soil practices.
Dr. Courtland Kelly is a researcher in Soil Health at Colorado State University. She completed her Ph.D. in Ecology and Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University in 2021, where she investigated the role of regenerative agricultural practices on soil health and soil organisms. Her work focuses mainly on the relationship between plants, soil, and soil organisms. Dr. Kelly completed her undergraduate degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Before beginning her graduate degree, she worked at ACES as a summer and winter naturalist.
This Naturalist Nights presentation was recorded on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6pm at Hallam Lake Nature Preserve. Naturalist Nights is in partnership with Wilderness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon.
About Naturalist Nights:
Each winter, ACES partners with Wildnerness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon to co-host the popular Naturalist Nights speaker series, bringing a great line-up of experts to explore topics of the natural world with our community.
