Designing Artificial Soil to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration in Tropical Degraded Lands

Mulawarman University, Indonesia

FY 2021–2027 FOREST* Program (Japan Science and Technology Agency)
*Fusion Oriented REsearch for disruptive Science and Technology

FUJII, Kazumichi (Department of Forest Soils; Current affiliation: Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI), since April 2025)

In the tropics, soil degradation causes nutrient depletion and forest degradation. We clarified the mechanisms by which deforestation and continuous cropping accelerate soil acidification and the loss of organic matter. To reconcile feeding the world’s population and for forest conservation, soil genesis must be accelerated without depleting soil fertility.

To identify biological processes to maximize soil carbon sequestration in tropical forests.

We will identify plants, microorganisms, and clay minerals that accelerate soil genesis. By admixing microorganisms with plant-derived and clay materials that increase soil carbon sequestration, we will demonstrate that soil carbon storage in degraded land can be increased to the level seen in natural forests.

We will develop a new approach to restore ecosystems and soil using artificial soil and develop a soil remediation method that resolves the dilemma of the relationship between poverty and soil degradation.

FUJII K., Toma, T., Sukartiningsih (2021) Comparison of soil acidification rates under different land uses in Indonesia. Plant and Soil https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04923-y

Fujii K, Hayakawa C, Sukartiningsih (2024) Drought-induced turnover of soil microbial biomass increases nutrient subsidies for the reproduction of tropical forest. Biogeochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-024-01137-z

Fujii K, Zheng J, Zhou Z, Fang Y (2024) Quantitative assessment of soil acidification in four Chinese forests affected by nitrogen deposition. Plant and Soil, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06602-0