Description
Book SynopsisThis book will collate, review and synthesize information on how Organic Agriculture (OA) practices affect and are affected by climate change, in comparison to the more widely used conventional agricultural practices. Pros and cons of OA practices will be discussed separately for croplands, pasture lands, mixed livestock cropping systems, vegetable fields, fruit and tree orchards, and vineyards. The book concludes with an overview on how conventional and OA practices can be prudently and discriminately combined to identify and adopt climate-resilient agro-ecosystems under site-specific conditions.
Table of Contents1. Introduction to Organic Agriculture
1.1. History and Current Organic Agriculture Land Use
1.2. Practices and Principles
1.3. Review Questions
2. Effects of Organic Agriculture on the Soil Carbon Stock
2.1. Basic Principles of Soil Carbon Sequestration
2.2. Soil Inorganic Carbon
2.3. Soil Organic Carbon
2.4 Net Effect of Organic Agriculture on Soil Carbon Sequestration
2.5 Review Questions
3. Organic Agriculture and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
3.1 Carbon Dioxide
3.2 Methane
3.3 Nitrous Oxide
3.4 The Hidden Carbon Cost of Organic Agriculture Practices
3.5 Review Questions
4. Biogeophysical and Biochemical Climate Effects of Organic Agriculture
4.1 Surface Albedo
4.2 Evapotranspiration
4.3 Surface Roughness
4.4 Biogenic Aerosols
4.5 Review Questions
5. Organic Agriculture, Crop Yield Responses, Indirect Land Use Changes and their Climate Effects
5.1 Regional Scale
5.2 Global Scale
5.3 Review Questions
6. Improving Conventional Agriculture by Incorporating Organic Principles to Reduce Climate Impacts
6.1 Cropping Systems
6.2 Livestock Production
6.3 Fruits and Vegetables Production
6.4 Vineyards
6.5 Review Questions
7. The Role of Organic Agriculture in the International Climate Change Policy
7.1 Regulations of Organic Agriculture Principles
7.2 Role of Agriculture in International Climate Change Policy
7.3 Review Questions
8. The Way Forward
9. Appendices
