Abstract: Soil carbon cycle plays an important role in global warming and concerns for it have been increased. Conservation tillage could reduce soil erosion, enhance residue utilization, and increase SOC, which influence soil carbon sequestration greatly. Lots of achievements in soil carbon cycle of conservation tillage have been made in the past years. With the deep studies, the understanding of mechanism of tillage effects on soil carbon has become more and more clearly and thoroughly. The effects of conservation tillage on carbon were reviewed objectively and in detail in this paper. Future trends and advices were also proposed on further researches in this field in China.

Key words: conservation tillage, soil carbon sequestration, soil carbon emissions, soil carbon sink