The Consortium for Research on Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems (CSiTE) conducts multi-scale investigations to acquire basic knowledge to underpin implementation of soil C sequestration in an environmentally acceptable and economically feasible manner. CSiTe recently developed a five year research plan focused on developing a holistic, predictive understanding of soil carbon sequestration under cellulosic energy crops. The new research is organized by seven interrelated themes depicted in the diagram below. Initially the research is focused on switchgrass production and will address five overarching questions.

1. What is the nature of belowground C inputs by switchgrass, and are they compatible with sustained aboveground biomass production and soil C sequestration?
2. What are the fundamental physical, chemical, and microbial mechanisms controlling C accrual and storage in soil, and how do they interact in space and time?
3. What processes control the movement and distribution of C through the soil profile?
4. How are the fundamental processes controlling C distribution and movement manifested across landscapes and time?
5. How can fundamental knowledge best be used to identify and implement methods and practices for sustained enhancement of soil C in the context of biomass production for energy in an environmentally acceptable and economically feasible fashion?