Getting the Dirt on Bowdoin’s New Soil Library

Students in Nguyen's fall course Soils and Terrestrial Carbon Cycling are exploring how much soil helps to regulate the climate. "Eventually, they come to understand that the amount of carbon stored in the soil is way larger than all the carbon stored in plants, animals, and the atmosphere all combined," Nguyen said.

This is because the billions of microbes that live in just a teaspoon of soil play the key roles of controlling the bottleneck of carbon sequestration via their ability to break down organic materials. Some microbes, working alongside plants, also help suck carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. At the same time, however, soil microorganisms are contributing to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide as they feast on dead plants and animals, helping to decompose them.

Louisa Linkas '26, an earth and oceanographic science and computer science major, said she enrolled in the class because she wanted to learn more about "the pertinence of soil cycling and soil health to our global climate systems and agricultural practices," and that she's enjoying the course's hands-on approach.

Nguyen said she was first drawn to the study of soil as a college student when she realized that "all the very interesting questions about life, about climate, and about our future lead down to the ground."

"Soil is the foundation of our food system and the key to solving the climate puzzle. I am committed to soil, and I find a lot of joy studying it."