Soil Degradation Pattern and Potential Reclamation for Enhancing Soil Productive Capacity under Changing Climate Scenario

1. M. S. Raghuvanshi
   ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur-440033 (Maharashtra), India
2. Latika Pandey
   Kanya Gurukul Campus, Gurukul Kangri University (GKV), Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
   *Corresponding Author: latikalata237@gmail.com
3. Deepak Kumar Mishra
   ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi-284003 (UP), India
4. A. Arunachalam
   ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi-284003 (UP), India
5. Asha Raam
   ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi-284003 (UP), India
6. Namita Joshi
   Kanya Gurukul Campus, Gurukul Kangri University (GKV), Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
   

Abstract

Soil degradation is one of the major global environmental concerns impacting the ecosystem services and livelihood under the changing climate scenario. It is taking place at an alarming pace and threatening food security and environmental quality. It is directly linked with climate change and concerning sustainable survival of the living beings. In addition, over-exploitation and mismanagement of ecosystem services is accelerated during the recent past due to intensive agricultural practices and abrasive pattern of precipitation and temperature. Further, the unsustainable consumption of chemical fertilizers and pesticide directly enhance the process of soil degradation leading to enhanced greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission, ultimately affecting the biodiversity and ecosystem services. Hence, suitable measures to reclaim the degraded soils are the need of the hour. This chapter includes the discussion on land degradation, its impact and the need for restoration of degraded lands.

Keywords: C-sequestration, Sustainable productivity, Rhizospheric process, conservation agriculture