Organic carbon in the top metre of Earth’s soils is far older than previously thought, averaging 4,800 years old. These radiocarbon-derived age estimates require us to recalibrate our expectations of ecosystem gains and losses of carbon.

中文翻译：

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地球土壤蕴藏着古老的碳

地球土壤最上层的有机碳比以前认为的要古老得多，平均有4,800年的历史。这些基于放射性碳的年龄估算要求我们重新调整对生态系统碳吸收和损失的期望。