Science

Livestock grazing may boost soil carbon storage in Iceland's subarctic grasslands

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 23/09/2026, 07:25:25 UTC.

Briefings

A recent study in Global Change Biology Communications suggests that livestock grazing in Iceland's subarctic grasslands may actually increase soil carbon storage rather than reduce it, challenging conventional wisdom that grazing harms carbon sequestration. The research indicates that grazing animals feed on grassland plants, which in turn transfer significant carbon to the soil via their root systems. This finding implies that removing grazers might not be the optimal strategy for enhancing underground carbon reserves in this specific ecosystem.

Key points

• A new study in Global Change Biology Communications reveals that livestock grazing in Iceland's subarctic grasslands may increase soil carbon storage rather than decrease it, challenging the assumption that removing grazers benefits carbon sequestration.
• Grassland plants transfer large amounts of carbon to soil through their roots, and most of that carbon is stored underground, meaning promoting soil carbon storage can help combat climate change.

Context and limitations

The study's findings are based on limited evidence from a single research article published in 2026, with no broader dataset or long-term monitoring data available to confirm the magnitude of carbon changes over time.

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