A Changing Climate Beneath Our Feet: How plant and microbial life in tropical soils are shifting and what that could mean for the future of our warming planet

Abstract

Discussions about climate change and carbon sequestration have largely revolved around plant structures we can easily see, like leaves that absorb CO₂ for photosynthesis and woody trunks that store carbon as biomass. Carbon credits that companies and consumers buy to compensate for emissions they’ve produced are primarily calculated based on these parts, as are models that predict climate change impacts. But researchers are now beginning to understand that what we see aboveground is only part of the equation. The other part lies beneath our feet in an intricate, expansive, covert realm where plant roots, microbial communities and soil dynamics interact. These belowground systems are crucial for cycling carbon through the Earth and regulating the climate, but relatively little is known about them compared to aboveground systems. This is especially true in tropical regions, where one-third of the world’s terrestrial carbon storage lies. However, these systems are evolving quickly with climate change, contradicting what models have previously projected. With so many global decisions based on such models, these uncertainties hold planetary significance for our future. A group of scientists is climbing an uphill battle, racing against time to understand this understudied field.