Carbon Footprint in Eroded Soils and Its Impact on Soil Health

Abstract

Climate change, soil degradation, and losses in the biodiversity have led the soil to become one of the most vulnerable resources on the earth. The tremendous scientific advancement made until now has made possible through the protection, monitoring, and surveillance of soil resources at national and global levels. However protection and management of soil resources still have to face the complex challenges, which prevent the effective planning of policies in the sector and implementation, that vary generally from place to place. Though, there is still not sufficient support for the protection and sustainable management of the soil resources in the world. The soils contain appreciable amount of terrestrial carbon (c), which plays an essential role in its balance at global level through the regulation of dynamic, biogeochemical processes and exchange of greenhouse gases (GHGs) with the atmosphere. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are estimated to be 1500 ± 230 Gt C in the first meter of land, almost twice the atmospheric 828 Gt C as carbon dioxide (CO2). Burning of fossil fuels, the use of the earth and change of land cover (which includes agriculture), is the largest anthropogenic source of C in the atmosphere and within the agriculture systems, the land have a global source of GHGs. These processes and emissions are highly influenced by the use of land pattern, land use change, plant cover, and soil management. The SOC stocks in the upper layers of the soil (800 Gt C in 0-40) cm) are particularly sensitive and receptive to such changes in land use and management, which provides the chance to influence the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This can be attained by keeping existing soil C stocking soils with high soil organic C content or by soil C sequestration. The aim of this chapter is to produce the obtainable information of C stocks in various types of soils and agroclimatic zones. Soil erosion/soil degradation and main management operations and strategies influence C sequestration, and vastscale policy interventions are needed in Indian environment.