Soil is not a sterile substance. It is home to a vast array
of life ranging from moles to microbes which makes it a
very active substance.
As the climate heats up it is predicted that the
activity of microbes responsible for the breakdown of
carbon-based materials in the soil will speed up. If this
happens then even more carbon dioxide will be released
into the environment. This is because increased microbial
activity results in an increase in respiration, which
produces more carbon dioxide as a waste product.
Experiments in the laboratory have shown that soil
respiration and carbon dioxide release can double with
every 5-10°C increase in temperature. A vicious cycle is
set up. As more carbon dioxide is released it causes
global warming, which in turn speeds up the activity of
the soil microbes again. Researchers are carrying out
investigations to see if this theory is correct and if
microbes in their natural habitat will speed up their
activity as it gets warmer and increase global warming.