Processes Determining the Sequestration and Maintenance of Carbon in Soils: A Synthesis of Research from Tropical India

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the major determinant of soil quality, and it greatly influences global carbon cycling and climate change. This paper is a synthesis of the literature on soil carbon research in India, including soil organic and inorganic carbon stocks, in the form of thematic maps for national and regional level planning at bioclimatic systems and agroecological subregion levels in the country. The potential role of soils in mitigating the global warming effects of atmospheric CO 2 is discussed using results from Indian tropical soils. The database on Indian soils collected through natural resource inventory and soil carbon and crop modeling approaches show that sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 occurs as pedogenic carbonates and plays role as a soil modifier in enhancing soil organic carbon in the drier parts of the country through management interventions. Clearly, soils can act as a potential medium for sequestering atmospheric CO 2 to mitigate the global warming effect.