ABSTRACT
Soils are an important component of the global carbon cycle and serve as a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon. The amount of carbon in any soil is a function of the soil forming factors including: climate, relief, organisms, parent material, and time. This chapter examines soil management practices and their effects on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. It analyses how management practices affect the physical and chemical environment of soil and how these in turn affect greenhouse gas emissions and the soil carbon sequestration potential. The use and management of soils affects the amount and type of greenhouse gases emitted from soil. Rice production is the principal source of methane (CH4) from soils due to the anaerobic conditions created by flooding paddy soils. Soil organic matter is the residue of plants and/or animals that remains in soil. These residues are in various stages of decomposition ranging from very slightly decomposed to highly decomposed material of undistinguishable origin.
