Climate Change and Agro-ecosystems: A Positive Correlation Analysis

Early in the debate on global warming and green house gas emissions, agricultural soils were identified as a potential depository of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), and terrestrial carbon sequestration was identified as a mean of mitigating green house gas emissions. Agricultural lands are believed to be a potential sink that can absorb huge quantity of carbon if trees are reintroduced into these systems and judiciously managed together with crops and/or animals. Soil organic carbon (SOC) pools are important in maintaining soil productivity and influencing the CO₂ loading into the atmosphere. Agricultural soils can mitigate the problem of carbon concentration increase in atmosphere if proper management practices are involved. Agricultural activities can influence the changes in SOC both in the short and the long terms. Soil carbon sequestration in agricultural ecosystems can prove to be a near-term option to mitigate the enhanced level of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere. Agriculture may not compete with forestry or agroforestry system based on its high carbon sequestration capacity but it can enrol itself significantly in this field if some better management practices can be involved.