## 5 Conclusions  
This study investigates the organic carbon sequestration capacity of soil in two distinct land use types--grasslands and arable land--within an area characterized by traditional cultural landscapes in central Romania, specifically in Mures and Sibiu counties. Additionally, three soil classes (Hidrisoils, Cernisoils, and Luvisoils) and six depth intervals (ranging from 0 to 60 cm) were analysed to more accurately delineate the factors involved in this process.  
Our findings can be summarized as follows:  
1. Grasslands exhibited the highest TOC and carbon stock values, reaching \(70.00\times 10^{3}\) mg/kg and \(226.69\) MgC/ha, respectively, while arable lands showed lower carbon sequestration potential.
2. The differences in TOC and carbon stock across the three examined soil classes were minimal, indicating that the soil class has a limited impact on the SOC content.
3. The TOC values decreased significantly with the soil depth up to approximately 30 cm, beyond which a slight increase or stagnation occurred in arable lands, while grasslands experienced a less pronounced decrease.  
Thus, we can highlight that the primary factor affecting the SOC content is land use, with grasslands being more effective in sequestering organic carbon compared to arable lands. Romania's traditional cultural landscapes provide valuable examples, where the agricultural practices and slow farming methods have fostered the development of high-nature-value grasslands with considerable SOC sequestration capacity. However, despite their positive environmental effects, these areas are often economically disadvantageous. Therefore, preserving such landscapes and maximizing SOC sequestration willrequire policy frameworks that balance economic growth with the promotion of sustainable farming methods.  
The other two factors--soil class and soil depth--show less influence on the organic carbon storage capacity of soil, but for a better understanding of this, further research is needed in regions with similar landscapes, climates, and agricultural practices.  
This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the soil carbon content in traditional cultural landscapes, emphasizing the urgent need to prioritize the conservation of these high-value sites. Their potential to mitigate climate change underscores their importance, and similar studies are essential for local and regional correlations of the key factors driving SOC sequestration.  
Conceptualization, V.M. and R.B.; data curation, V.M., A.O., R.B. and T.D.; formal analysis, A.O., R.B. and C.R.; funding acquisition, R.B. and M.D.V.B.; investigation, A.O., R.B. and C.R.; methodology, V.M., R.B. and M.D.V.B.; software, V.M. and T.D.; supervision, V.M. and R.B.; validation, V.M. and R.B.; visualization, V.M., A.O. and T.D.; writing--official draft, V.M., A.O., and R.B.; writing--review and editing, V.M., A.O., R.B., M.D.V.B. and C.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by rePLANET and Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania, soil testing agreement no. 6727/29.03.2022.  
Not applicable.  
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.  
Special thanks must go to [PERSON], whose support was invaluable for ensuring the timely completion of this project.  
Author [PERSON] was employed by the company rePLANET. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.