GLOBAL WARMING

• According to IPCC (2001) the average temperature of Earth is

projected to increase by 1.5-5.8°C during the 21st century

• Climate change is related to Green House Gas(GHG) causing

Global Warming
Different sectors contributing to GHGs emission (percent)
Water Carbon
Methane Nitrous oxide Ozone HFCs PFCs SF6
vapour dioxide

36-76% 9-26% 4-9% 5% 3-7% 2.2% 2.2% 2.2%

[HFC= hydro fluro carbon; PFC= poly fluro carbon; SF6= sulfur hexa fluride]

(Source : Kyoto Protocol)

 Change in global average temperature 1850-2005
shown as a change(°C)relative to the 1961-1990 long- term
average (from IPCC WGI,2007)
 FUTURE TEMPERATURE PROJECTION

Temperature is projected to increase by

o
1.5 to 5.8 C by 2100
Green House Gases on the rise
CARBON
METHANE
DIOXIDE

NITROUS
OXIDE
 Soil Organic Carbon
All availed amenities by industrialized
societies are based on fossil fuel
derived energy. Thus, the modern
civilization can be appropriately
termed “the Carbon Civilization” or
the C-Era (Rattan Lal,2007),

The modern civilization is dependent on C-based energy

sources. It is literally hooked on carbon, and in need of
a big-time rehabilitation.
 World soil constitute 3rd largest global C pool
Pool Amount(Pg )
Ocean 38,100
Soil (1 m depth)
SOC(soil organic carbon) 1550
SIC(soil inorganic carbon) 950
Vegetation 610
Atmosphere 760
Fossil fuels 4130
Major C sink. % of global C pool
(Source: Lal, 2008) (Source: Hillel, 2011)
Additional
human
inputs

Soil organic carbon forms part of the natural carbon cycle

 Why is carbon important ?

 Major building block for life of all organisms in Earth.

 Basic input for crop production, important from

agricultural point of view.

Some beneficial role of SOC in soil:

 Physical effect

 Chemical effect

 Biological effect
 N C P
K Ca

Mg S

Zn Mn

Cl
Bo
Carbon is a
“keystone”

Building of agriculture
 Nutrient cycling requires carbon!

Carbon is the “Lord of the Rings”

H2O
C N

P K Ca Mg Mn Cu

S Cl Zn Bo Mo Fe Na
 Soil Organic C Dynamics
P = net primary production D = decomposition
Relative C content (g C m-2)

Conversion to
Adoption of
cultivated
Original conservation
agriculture
accumulation practices

loss
sequestration

P>D P<D P>D

Time
prairie agroecosystem (Janzen et al., 1998)
Managing soil organic matter as the key to soil, air, and water quality.

(Source:Lal,2007)
Losses of Carbon from the Soil

A. Oxidation of C (as Carbon-di-oxide)

B. Agricultural practices causing reduction of SOC in

soils
Removal of C from fields
Why is the response of soil carbon to global warming
important ?

The size of the pool of SOC is large compared to gross and net
annual fluxes of carbon to and from the terrestrial biosphere.

Small changes in the SOC pool could have dramatic impacts on

the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Increased release of terrestrial C under warming would lead to a

positive feedback,resulting in increased global warming.
Factors affecting the response of SOC to
global warming
1. The balance of carbon inputs to , and outputs from ,
the soil

2. Increasing decomposition rate under global warming

3. Global and regional trends in changes in NPP and SOC

loss

4. Overall impact – transient versus equilibrium

effects
 1.The balance of inputs to & outputs from the soil

The level of SOC in a particular soil is determined by many

factors including climatic factors (e.g., temperature and moisture
regimes) and edaphic factors (e.g., soil parent material, clay
content, cation exchange capacity; Dawson and Smith, 2007).

The rate of carbon input to the soil is also related to the

productivity of the vegetation growing on that soil , measured by
NPP. NPP varies with climate, land cover, species composition,
and soil type (Falge et al.,2002).
2. Increasing decomposition rate under global
warming

Increased temperatures accelerate rates of microbial

decomposition

Increase CO2 emission by soil respiration

Results a positive feedback to global warming.

Assumed temperature dependencies of SOC
decomposition
(Parton et al. 1987)
 Temperature sensitivity of SOC pools

Some studies suggest that recalcitrant C is not sensitive to

temperature variation (Giardina and Ryan, 2000).

Recalcitrant and labile pools have a similar temperature

sensitivity (Fang et al., 2005).

The temperature dependence of SOC decomposition is the

result of a number of processes that effectively contributes to
the rate of mineralization (Agren and Wetterstedt, 2007).
Schematic diagram of temperature sensitivities derived
from various methods and their affecting factors.
(Source : Smith et al.,2007)
Sensitive/vulnerable regions and
soils
High latitude regions are thought to be particularly vulnerable

High latitudes are projected to experience some of the greatest

warming (Mitchell et al ., 2004).

This is particularly true of permafrost soils in the taiga and tundra

that hold around 500 Pg C, and could lose this carbon rapidly under
warming ( Zimov et al ., 2006).
 MEASURING SOIL RESPONSES TO
GLOBAL WARMING
A.Soil respiration measurement in the laboratory

B.Soil respiration measurement in the field

1.Static absorption

2.Dynamic (or steady-state)chambers

3.Enrichment(or non-steady-state)methods
 Dynamic (or steady-state) chambers

Sr =∆c (f/A)

Where Sr is the efflux of CO2 from the soil, ∆c is the

difference in CO2 mass fraction in the incoming and
outgoing air streams, f is the gas flow rate through
the chamber, and A is the surface area covered by the
chamber (Nakayama, 1990).
 Enrichment (or non-steady-state)
methods

The soil efflux(Sr) can be measured by:

Sr=(∆c/∆t)(V/A)

where ∆c is the CO2 concentration increment in

the chamber in the time interval ∆t, V is the
volume of air within the chamber, and A is the
soil surface area covered by the chamber.
Holding carbon in the soil!
 Sequestering carbon

Creating negative Creating positive

carbon emission nutrient budget

Chemical
Mulching Soil Biofertilizer
fertilizer
Cover amendments
cropping
*Biochar
*Manure

Strategies of soil carbon sequestration

(Lal,2004)
 Conclusion
Carbon content in soil is about twice as large as that of in the
atmosphere and about three times that in the vegetation.

Global warming causes large amounts of carbon in terrestrial

soils to be lost to atmosphere , making them a greater carbon
source than sink.

Strategies of soil carbon sequestration will help to mitigate

climate change itself.
 Soil is meant to be covered.

Manage soil carbon - make the world a better place.

 We need stronger footprints on / for soils!

Soil is meant to be covered.

Manage soil carbon - make the world a better place.

Thank you for your attention