Watch the global carbon cycle! The link below takes you to a NASA page that loads a 90 megabyte animated GIF file showing chlorophyll concentration (in the oceans) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, on land) as the seasons change. Note: this page requires a fair bit of computer memory and good internet connection to load the image. It may step around slowly until the image is fully loaded.
In eastern Australia, two Catchment Management Authorities have begun programs to encourage farmers and graziers to manage for increased soil organic matter. Both programs involve measuring on-farm results with before and after soil testing. Both programs are aimed at enhancing soil health and the sustainability of farming, rather than at "offsets" to fossil fuel emissions.
Soil scientist Ray Archuleta shows a remarkable contrast in the responses of tilled and no-tilled soil to water. Note that the biological glue he speaks of during the second half, substances such as glomalin, are one of the important large compounds that contain soil carbon. The takeaway from this demonstration is also that soil organic carbon has huge leverage on the effectiveness of the water cycle. See also http://managingwholes.com/eco-water-cycle.htm