Soil Organic Carbon and Feeding the Future: Basic Soil Processes

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a crucial component of the soil matrix due to its high reactivity, ability to store carbon, and influence on soil quality parameters. Agroecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, and this book explores the relationship between SOM content and critical soil quality parameters. It highlights the importance of sustainable SOM management for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a vital component of the soil matrix, exhibiting remarkable reactivity due to its extensive surface area, high ion exchange capacity, strong affinity for water due to hygroscopicity, and ability to form organo-mineral complexes. Its significance lies in its role as a significant source and sink of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases, which are influenced by a multitude of climatic, land use, soil, and crop management practices, as well as a wide array of abiotic and biotic factors, including the human dimensions of socioeconomic and political aspects.

Agroecosystems play a crucial role in regulating the global carbon cycle, exerting a substantial impact on anthropogenic or abrupt climate change. This book, published in the series Advances in Soil Sciences, delves into the pedological processes initiated by enhancing the SOM content of depleted and degraded soils. It explores the intricate relationship between SOM content and critical soil quality parameters such as aggregation, water retention and transport, aeration and gaseous exchange, and the chemical composition of soil air. By identifying policy options, the book aims to translate scientific knowledge into practical actions for sustainable management of SOM as a strategy for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

Key Features:

• Relates soil organic matter stock to soil processes, climate parameters, vegetation, and landscape attributes.
• Establishes relationships between soil organic matter and land use, species, and climate.
• Identifies land use systems for protecting and restoring soil organic matter stock.
• Links soil organic matter stock with the global carbon cycle for mitigation of climate change.

This volume, part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, is of interest to agricultural, environmental, and soil scientists, as it highlights the connection between soil organic matter stock and the provision of essential ecosystem services for nature. By elucidating the role of SOM in shaping soil properties and ecosystem functioning, this book contributes to a better understanding of the complex dynamics between soil, climate, and biodiversity, ultimately paving the way for sustainable land and soil management practices.

Weight: 840g
Dimension: 181 x 261 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032150673