Can Soils Continue to Sequester Carbon Without Increasing Phosphorus Inputs? The Role of Phosphorus in Soil Carbon Sequestration

As part of its weekly seminar series, the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) at UM6P is pleased to host a lecture by Dr. Cornelia Rumpel, CNRS Research Director (Exceptional Class) at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES Paris), Editor-in-Chief of Geoderma and recipient of the 2026 Von Liebig Award (IUSS) and the 2026 Duchaufour Medal (EGU).

Soil organic carbon sequestration, the transfer of atmospheric CO₂ into soil carbon pools where it can be stored for decades to centuries, is a key nature-based solution for mitigating and adapting to climate change while supporting sustainable food production. However, increasing soil carbon stocks requires the immobilization of essential nutrients, particularly phosphorus, creating a trade-off between long-term carbon storage and the need for external nutrient inputs in (agro)ecosystems. This talk examines the biogeochemical processes underlying C:P coupling in soils, the fate of organic and inorganic phosphorus inputs (transformation, mobilization, stabilization), and emerging strategies to alleviate phosphorus limitations and improve the sustainability of soil carbon sequestration in agricultural systems.