152
H. Elbasiouny and F. Elbehiry
1 Introduction: Climate Change and Carbon Cycle
Climate change, tropical deforestation, biodiversity loss and desertification are global
environmental issues getting serious attention all interested of scientists, citizens, and
policymakers. These issues are related to land-use systems. Climate change is a global
environmental concern [1]. An increasing trend of the atmospheric temperature and
global changes in the weather conditions are indicated to as climate change [2]. Climate change has the potential to impact natural systems such as forests and socioeconomic systems than their services such as food production and coastal settlements
all over the world [1]. This is a major environmental and socio-economical problem,
and in the lack of potential mitigation and adaptation processes, climate change can
negatively affect a lot of parts worldwide, including environmental resources and
ecosystem services [2].
There are strong scientific indications that anthropogenic greenhouse gases concentration is the primarily responsible for most observed increases in global average
temperatures since the mid-20th century [3]. There are two anthropogenic processes
that contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere; fossil fuels burning and changes
in land use [1, 2]. The ongoing climatic changes by anthropogenic activities include
emissions from fossil fuels burning (292 Pg C) and land-use change (136 ± 30 Pg C),
deforestation, and soil cultivation [4]. However, it is mentioned that in the period
1750–2011, the contribution of Land Use and Land Use Change (LULUC) to carbon emission are estimated to equal to 180 ± 80 Pg C. Therefore, understanding
the biological mechanism regulating the carbon exchanges (between land, oceans,
and atmosphere) and their exchange responses to climate changes through climateecosystem feedbacks is very important [2, 4]. Scenario modeling indicates that if
this issue left unchecked, the rise in average temperature globally could be 2 °C or
greater by the end 21st century. This increase in global temperatures can result in
significant changes in climate then ecosystems such as increased duration and intensity of extreme events, affecting food, fiber, energy security, and natural resources.
To address the climate change issues, new accessible and reliable information, either
nationally or locally, about land and water resources will be needed to assist mangers
of these resources to make a suitable decision [3].
The soils of the world play a critical role in the global C cycle [5]. Following
fossil fuels, SOC is the largest terrestrial C stock [2]. This crucial role is given, not
only because of the size of the soil C reservoir (1576 Pg) (Pg = 1015), but also
because of the dynamic character of some SOC fractions [6]. Climate change can
significantly affect soil carbon (C), since changes in temperature, rainfall patterns and
CO 2 concentrations influence C inputs to soil, and soil C decomposition. Recently,
the impact climate change on global SOC stocks has been widely recognized [2].
Because of an immediate and long-term threat to the entire biosphere and human
systems on the earth posed by global warming poses as reducing the emissions of
GHGs and sequestering atmospheric CO 2 are the fundamental solutions. There are
many different available options, terrestrial carbon sequestration, particularly in the
soil is count as a ‘win–win’ strategy because generally management practices that
H. Elbasiouny and F. Elbehiry
1 Introduction: Climate Change and Carbon Cycle
Climate change, tropical deforestation, biodiversity loss and desertification are global
environmental issues getting serious attention all interested of scientists, citizens, and
policymakers. These issues are related to land-use systems. Climate change is a global
environmental concern [1]. An increasing trend of the atmospheric temperature and
global changes in the weather conditions are indicated to as climate change [2]. Climate change has the potential to impact natural systems such as forests and socioeconomic systems than their services such as food production and coastal settlements
all over the world [1]. This is a major environmental and socio-economical problem,
and in the lack of potential mitigation and adaptation processes, climate change can
negatively affect a lot of parts worldwide, including environmental resources and
ecosystem services [2].
There are strong scientific indications that anthropogenic greenhouse gases concentration is the primarily responsible for most observed increases in global average
temperatures since the mid-20th century [3]. There are two anthropogenic processes
that contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere; fossil fuels burning and changes
in land use [1, 2]. The ongoing climatic changes by anthropogenic activities include
emissions from fossil fuels burning (292 Pg C) and land-use change (136 ± 30 Pg C),
deforestation, and soil cultivation [4]. However, it is mentioned that in the period
1750–2011, the contribution of Land Use and Land Use Change (LULUC) to carbon emission are estimated to equal to 180 ± 80 Pg C. Therefore, understanding
the biological mechanism regulating the carbon exchanges (between land, oceans,
and atmosphere) and their exchange responses to climate changes through climateecosystem feedbacks is very important [2, 4]. Scenario modeling indicates that if
this issue left unchecked, the rise in average temperature globally could be 2 °C or
greater by the end 21st century. This increase in global temperatures can result in
significant changes in climate then ecosystems such as increased duration and intensity of extreme events, affecting food, fiber, energy security, and natural resources.
To address the climate change issues, new accessible and reliable information, either
nationally or locally, about land and water resources will be needed to assist mangers
of these resources to make a suitable decision [3].
The soils of the world play a critical role in the global C cycle [5]. Following
fossil fuels, SOC is the largest terrestrial C stock [2]. This crucial role is given, not
only because of the size of the soil C reservoir (1576 Pg) (Pg = 1015), but also
because of the dynamic character of some SOC fractions [6]. Climate change can
significantly affect soil carbon (C), since changes in temperature, rainfall patterns and
CO 2 concentrations influence C inputs to soil, and soil C decomposition. Recently,
the impact climate change on global SOC stocks has been widely recognized [2].
Because of an immediate and long-term threat to the entire biosphere and human
systems on the earth posed by global warming poses as reducing the emissions of
GHGs and sequestering atmospheric CO 2 are the fundamental solutions. There are
many different available options, terrestrial carbon sequestration, particularly in the
soil is count as a ‘win–win’ strategy because generally management practices that