This book highlights ecosystem services of Indian tropical soils driven by soil properties. Soils are complex and important biomaterials and have an outstanding role in providing ecosystem services to mankind. The tropical soils have been traditionally and generally considered as either agriculturally poor or virtually useless by many. This book will discuss the difficulties encountered in managing Indian tropical soils in order to sustain their productivity. Some unique soil properties are yet to be linked explicitly to soil ecosystem services and soil care needs to be a constant research endeavour in the Indian tropical environment. This book highlights the new and unique soil knowledge base necessary to close the gap between food production and future population growth.

This monograph covers uniqueness of micromorphology in resolving many important but enigmatic pedological issues such as clay illuviation, formation of pedogenic and non-pedogenic CaCO3, modification of plasmic fabric, contemporary and relict pedogenic processes, polygenesis of soils in Alfisols, Mollisols, Ultisols, Vertisols and Inceptisols of the tropical Indian environments. Chapters in this title also include identification of paleosols, diagenetic overprinting of the pedofeatures in lithified paleosols, and alluvial cyclicity of the fluvial successions. The techniques mentioned in this title are of tremendous value in pedological and geological research for precise and unambiguous definitions of soil taxa to build the national soil information and refine the stratigraphy of the terrestrial sediments. The information is for the benefit the students and researchers of pedology and geomorphology who often come across extreme difficulties in relating to examples applying the principles of soil formation from textbooks devoted almost exclusively to soils of the temperate climates. The format of this publication is arranged for a process-oriented text and figures on micromorphology of the tropical soils and paleosols as a reference for pedologists, earth scientists, M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, and also for land resource managers who are engaged in enhancing the productivity of such tropical soils in India and elsewhere.

The contributed volume assimilates the knowledge, experience, and exciting aspects of soil carbon research in the Indian Himalayan region. It includes different aspects and factors associated with soil carbon sequestration in the region, one of the biodiversity hot spots and highly vulnerable to climatic change impacts. Information on different aspects of soil organic carbon dynamics concerning adaptive land management practices and anthropogenic impacts is covered. Further topics include applying advanced tools and techniques to soil carbon vis-a-vis soil erosion research. This book is of interest to researchers and policymakers involved in soil carbon research and offer ideas to enhance the soil carbon in the region concerned. In addition, the book will provide up-to-date information for researchers interested in soil carbon research for the maintenance of soil quality and fertility in the climate-vulnerable Indian Himalayan region.

Agroforestry, the word coined in early seventies, has made its place in all the developed and the developing countries of the world and is now recognized as an important approach to ensuring food security and rebuilding resilient rural environments. India has been an all-time leader in agroforestry. The South and Southeast Asia region comprising India is often described as the cradle of agroforestry. Almost all forms of agroforestry systems exist across India in ecozones ranging from humid tropical lowlands to high-altitude and temperate biomes, and perhumid rainforest zones to parched drylands. The country ranks foremost among the community of nations not only in terms of this enormous diversity and long tradition of the practice of agroforestry, but also in fostering scientific developments in the subject. Agroforestry applies to private agricultural and forest lands and communities that also include highly erodible, flood-prone, economically marginal and environmentally sensitive lands. The typical situation is agricultural, where trees are added to create desired benefits. Agroforestry allows for the diversification of farm activities and makes better use of environmental resources. Owing to an increase in the population of human and cattle, there is increasing demand of food as well as fodder, particularly in developing countries like India. So far, there is no policy that deals with specifics in agroforestry in India. But, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has been discussing on the scope of having a National Agroforestry Policy in appropriate platforms. However, evolving a policy requires good and reliable datasets from different corners of the country on the subject matter. This synthesis volume containing 13 chapters is an attempt to collate available information in a classified manner into different system ecologies, problems and solutions, and converging them into a policy support.

This book is a state-of-the-art compilation of the latest information on ecosystem services of agroforestry. The last two decades have seen a surge in literature on the ecosystem services of sustainable agriculture practices, including that of agroforestry; however, compilation and synthesis of such information from agroforestry have been limited. This book fills that void by bringing in a number of experts from around the world. In addition to presenting the multiple dimensions of ecosystem services provided by major agroforestry practices, the book also offers case studies from both tropical and temperate regions of the world. Information from this book can be used to design land management practices for climate change mitigation, ecosystem benefits, agricultural productivity and sustainability, and for survival and profitability of family farms and to conserve biodiversity. While synthesizing information of the biophysical aspects of ecosystem services, the book also outlines the socioeconomic and policy dimensions, including appropriate incentive models to enhance adoption of agroforestry so that society at large can enjoy these important benefits

This edited book provides a comprehensive account of the sustainable intensification process through various forms of case studies and scientific approaches studied across the globe. It also focuses on the agroecosystem services and their subsequent management for ecological integrity. The book helps to understand the interconnection of food, nutrition, economic growth, and environmental security on the planet. It provides comprehensive information with photographic illustration and various other forms of scientific databases on sustainable intensification of agroecosystems. The book also supports decision-making, strategies, and policy formulation for effective implementation of sustainable intensification towards higher productivity along with maintenance and management of agroecosystem services. Proper sustainable intensification of agroecosystem services and their management by maintaining ecological harmony is the future prospect for sustainable development. High input agriculture gives rise to a high-energy footprint, agricultural pollution, resource depletion, loss of agro-biodiversity, and decline of human health. Through this connection, the sustainable intensification approach addresses the advanced food security, sustainability, and overall prosperity of humankind. The book is helpful for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, policymakers, the farming community, as well as the scientific community across the globe to understand the concept of sustainable intensification and its application in relevant fields for proper management of agroecosystems services.

Soil organic carbon (SOC), a key component of the global carbon (C) pool, plays an important role in C cycling, regulating climate, water supplies and biodiversity, and therefore in providing the ecosystem services that are essential to human well-being. Most agricultural soils in temperate regions have now lost as much as 60% of their SOC, and as much as 75% in tropical regions, due to conversion from natural ecosystems to agricultural uses and mainly due to continuous soil degradation. Sequestering C can help to offset C emissions from fossil fuel combustion and other C-emitting activities, while also enhancing soil quality and long-term agronomic productivity. However, developing effective policies for creating terrestrial C sinks is a serious challenge in tropical and subtropical soils, due to the high average annual temperatures in these regions. It can be accomplished by implementing improved land management practices that add substantial amounts of biomass to soil, cause minimal soil disturbance, conserve soil and water, improve soil structure, and enhance soil fauna activity. Continuous no-till crop production is arguably the best example. These soils need technically sound and economically feasible strategies to sustainably enhance their SOC pools. Hence, this book provides comprehensive information on SOC and its management in different land-use systems, with a focus on preserving soils and their ecosystem services. The only book of its kind, it offers a valuable asset for students, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the sustainable development and management of natural resources at the global level.

Agroforestry has great potential for reducing deforestation and forest degradation, providing rural livelihoods and habitats for species outside formally protected land, and alleviating resource-use pressure on conservation areas. However, widespread adoption of agroforestry innovations is still constrained by a myriad of factors including design features of candidate agroforestry innovations, perceived needs, policies, availability and distribution of factors of production, and perception of risks. Understanding the science, and factors that regulate the adoption, of agroforestry and how they impact the implementation of agroforestry is vitally important. Agroforestry for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Science and Practice examines design features and management practices of some agroforestry practices and their impact on biodiversity and the ecosystem services it delivers. It also identifies policy issues for facilitating adoption of desirable agroforestry practices and gradual diminution of undesirable policies.