Climate Change and Natural Resources Management

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Greenhouse effect and contribution of Indian agriculture/S. Lenka, N.K. Lenka and A. Subba Rao. 2. Climate change and weather extremes in India/N.K. Lenka. 3. Importance of tropospheric ozone in climate change research/S. Lenka. 4. Impact of elevated CO2 and temperature on crop ET and plant water productivity/N.K. Lenka. 5. Elevated atmospheric CO2 its indirect effects on soil processes/S. Kundu, S. Rajendiran and M. Vassanda Coumar. 6. Impact of climate on rhizosphere microbial activity and nutrient cycling/A. Mandal, T.K. Radha and S. Neenu. 7. Feedbacks of CO2 fertilization on soil and plant Nitrogen/N.K. Lenka. 8. Enteric methane emission in domestic ruminant livestock: prediction and measurement/V. Sejian, B. Saumya and A.K. Singh. 9. Adaptation strategies in agriculture in context of climate change/S. Lenka. 10. Impact of climate change on insect pests, beneficial insects and possible adaptation strategies/M.S. Rao and B. Venkateswarlu. 11. Climate change mitigation options in agriculture/S. Lenka, N.K. Lenka and R.S. Chaudhary. 12. Role of farm machinery in reducing greenhouse gas emissions/R.C. Singh. 13. Strategies to reduce enteric methane emission in domestic ruminant livestock/V. Sejian and S. Indu. 14. Carbon sequestration in Indian agriculture/S. Kundu, M.L. Dotaniya and S. Lenka. 15. Carbon credits and trading and opportunity for Indian farmers/C.A. Rama Rao, B. Venkateswarlu and Josily Samuel. 16. Use of simulation models to assess the impact of climate change on agro-ecosystems/M. Mohanty and Nishant K. Sinha. Index.

This book addresses the important issues of food security and sustainability of natural resources of India in the context of the projected climate change. Agro-ecosystems being the sites of intense interaction between human beings and natural world, global climate change is likely to affect the resource base, the crop productivity, input use efficiency and overall the profitability of agricultural production systems to a great extent. However, the adverse effects of climate change can be alleviated through mitigation and adaptation strategies which carry importance due to the increasing population and food demand in India.

Thus, this compilation covers possible sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in Indian context including the potentials of soil carbon sequestration, crop pest and soil management and scientific livestock management as mitigation and adaptation options. This book also includes some topics on fundamentals of green house effect and the possible mechanisms by which soil nutrient availability alters due to CO2 fertilization. The schematic diagrams, tables and graphs have been included to make the book more illustrative. The likelihood of carbon credits and trading through best management practices can help Indian farmers earning carbon credits in future. The book is useful for researchers, farm managers, policy makers and also students engaged in climate change related studies.