Crop production contributes to climate change—but it can also be part of the solution. During his PhD studies, Yiwei Shang investigated the role of perennial cropping systems in enhancing soil carbon stocks. Based on a long-term field experiment in Denmark, his research showed that perennial crops could not only increase soil carbon but also sustain high biomass yields. He expanded the research to the global level, highlighting the need for more consistent and accurate methods in reporting soil carbon stock changes. At the molecular level, Yiwei Shang further explored how carbon forms and is stored under perennial cropping systems. These findings advance our understanding of how perennial cropping systems affect soil carbon storage and emphasize the crucial role of agriculture in building a more sustainable future.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

Time: Tuesday, 12 August 2025 at 10:00
Place: 8814-3075, Auditorium,  AU Viborg, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele
Title of PhD thesis: Enhancing Soil Carbon Stocks by Perennial Cropping Systems towards Climate-Smart Agriculture
Contact information: Yiwei Shang, e-mail: ywshang@agro.au.dk, tel.: +45 91859598
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Jakob Magid, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Head of laboratory Gerrit Angst, Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Senior Researcher Fiona Hay (chair), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor: Professor Jørgen E Olesen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor: 
Senior Researcher Diego Abalos, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Assistant Professor Zhi Liang, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.