Strategy
Mitigation
Increase Soil Organic Carbon
Soil naturally absorbs atmospheric carbon and stores it underground; digging and other disturbances release that carbon back into the atmosphere. Minimizing earthwork on a site helps immobilize carbon below-ground. This can be achieved by elevating structures, consolidating development footprints, and limiting cut/fill operations.
Apply organic mulch or cover crops plowed under as green manure
Options
Case Study
SWA Group’s Edible Landscape Garden at the Dallas Arboretum is modeled after a potager, or kitchen garden, to educate visitors about growing food. Pecan shell mulch is used across the arboretum to moderate soil temperature, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. It is also used in the edible beds which has the extra benefit of reducing the exposure that soil microorganisms have to excess oxygen and sunlight, which accelerates the loss of stored carbon in the soil to the atmosphere, a problem in frequently disturbed agricultural soils.
