ABSTRACT
Principal pedospheric processes that influence the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere include leaching, erosion, and gaseous fluxes. The pedosphere affects the global carbon (C) cycle by influencing the magnitude of global C pools, their dynamics, and the fluxes between them. The biosphere and atmosphere interact through photosynthesis and respiration. The global rate of C fixation through photosynthesis is 120 Pg C/yr and that of the respiration by plants and in soil is 60 Pg C/yr. Some soil types influence the global C cycle more than others because of their areal extent, high C concentration, or both. Among the two broad categories of soils, the epipedons of organic soils contain more organic C than those of inorganic soils. On the basis of their position within the landscape, inorganic soils are also of two broad categories: uplands and wetlands. Important upland soil orders in relation to the global C cycle are Mollisols, Andisols, and Aridisols.
