UNITED KINGDOM — Damage to the soil has been found to be a major contributor to climate change, according to a yet-to-be released report from the United Nations.<br /><br />There is three times more carbon present in the soil than in earth's atmosphere, BBC News reports.<br /><br />Carbon in the soil is being released into the atmosphere due to poor farming and deforestation, according to an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report that will be published on May 6.<br /><br />This would impact the climate in two ways: it would interfere with plant growth as it takes in carbon from the atmosphere and releases carbon previously stored in the soil.<br /><br />Erosion, machinery, or over-watering can cause damage to the soil, according to BBC News.<br /><br />Professor Jan Rickson from Cranfield University told BBC News, that only 3 percent of the earth's surface can be used for arable production while 75 billion tons of fertile soil is lost every year due to land degradation."<br /><br />According to the BBC, major areas for global soil degradation include South America, sub-Saharan Africa, India and China.
