Research from Guizhou University shows that reservoirs in karst landscapes are exceptionally effective at capturing atmospheric carbon. The process involves a biological carbon pump where phytoplankton convert dissolved inorganic carbon into organic matter, which then settles into the sediment. A key finding is that nearly 60% of this buried carbon becomes recalcitrant organic carbon. This stable form resists microbial breakdown, allowing these reservoirs to act as long-term carbon sponges that may be underestimated in current global carbon budgets.
