Researchers to explore how Canada’s grasslands could store more carbon Genomic tools help researchers understand how grazing management influences carbon cycling and measure indicators of changing emissions in cattle and soil6 March 2024 6 March 2024 4 minute read 4 minute read By: By: University of Alberta North AmericaA University of Alberta-led interdisciplinary team is launching a research project with the goal to store 32.5 Mega tonnes of carbon in the ground through grazing management techniques and genomic tools. “Evidence suggests that the grasslands of Canada are undersaturated with carbon and have the potential to store more carbon than they currently do,” says James Cahill, professor in the Faculty of Science and co-lead of the Climate Action Through Grazing project, which received $6.2 million in new funding. Carolyn Fitzsimmons (left) and James Cahill lead a research team using genomic tools to explore how grazing management can help Canada reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Photo courtesy of Oumar SalifouFitzsimmons says if cattle can be used in ways that are economically viable and accelerate carbon storage, the impact on Canada’s net carbon emissions could be significant. “Grasslands provide excellent carbon storage because the carbon gets stored in the soil and it tends to get stored as what we call necromass, which is dead microbes,” says Cahill.