SOIL ECOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: SHOWING HOW APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER COULD HAVE BENEFITS FOR THE ATMOSPHERE

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp 27-30, Feb. 1993

SUMMARY

The soil ecosystem is comprised of abiotic and biotic fraction whose interaction determines soil stability. The biotic fraction of soil can be managed to provide greater stability and carbon sequestering potential, with significant benefits for the terrestrial environment and the atmosphere

The soil ecosystem has been described as a principal component of all agricultural ecosystems, the stability of which is essential to the development of sustainable agriculture (Senanayake 1990, 1991). The move to develop management strategies that achieve sustainable land use requires a good working knowledge of the ecosystem. Many functional components of the ecosystem have been researched in Australia (e.g. CSIRO, 1983), providing a good base for soil ecosystem management research.