ABSTRACT
The depletion of the ozone layer due to the greenhouse effect has created great concern that led to several studies on qualities, kinds, distribution and behavior of soil organic carbon (SOC). The first ever comprehensive study of OC status in Indian soils was conducted by Jenny and Raychaudhuri. Difference in sampling methods, exact season of collecting soil samples on different types of landscapes and kinds of vegetation and the methods of soil analyses in the laboratory determine the quality of SOC data. An attempt has been made to estimate the SOC stock in different soil orders as per Soil Taxonomy. The SOC stock for India in terms of each soil order is estimated at 0–30 and 0–150 cm depths since quantitative data reflect the kinds of soil with different amount of OC at different depths. The accumulation of OC in Indian soils, however, is dependent on the rate of decomposition of OC due to higher temperature in the tropics.
