Organic carbon sequestration occurs when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is removed by plants via photosynthesis and stored in plant biomass above and below ground and in the soil carbon cycle.
Carbon is stored in forests, grasslands and wetlands with some loss via respiration and decomposition of plant biomass, however in agriculture carbon can incur large losses through land use and environmental factors, carbon loss can be reduced through reduced/no tillage and erosion control, and can be increased by retaining crop residues, adding compost and manure and through perennial cover crops.