Stanford research shows that climate change and certain farming practices could shift the amount of carbon dioxide that is released from soil.

Nearly a third of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere annually can be traced back to bacteria living in the soil, where they break down plant and animal matter for energy.

For most soil microbes, this transformation requires oxygen. But a new study finds that tiny, scattered populations of bacteria living in soil are oxygen-starved and have an underappreciated effect on the amount of this potent greenhouse gas that is released into the air.

Source: Disrupting sensitive soils could worsen climate change | Stanford News