---

anagement of soil organic carbon:-The purpose of this work is to introduce the reader to the effect of land use changes and management practices in the total soil organic carbon stock. Soil organic matter plays a major role in the productivity of soils and is particularly important in soil fertility and water-holding capacity of strongly weathered soils. Wise management of soil organic carbon has societal, economic and environmental benefits. This work provides new conceptual alternatives for managing soil organic carbon and presents new approaches to achieve environmental outcomes. It also addresses specific problems such as soil erosion and land degradation, and evaluates the advantage of applying organic and inorganic inputs to enhance yield. The work explains how to achieve an ideal environment for agriculture by applying various management practices. Describes the methods how to reduce soil erosion, and improve soil quality. This work will not only be useful for the agricultural specialists and farmers directly involved with organic farming but also as a supplementary reference for undergraduate and graduate students.

---

Vita: Assefa Y. Adane, MSc: studied chemistry and soil science at Hawassa University. Lecturer at Hawassa College of Teacher Education, Hawassa, Ethiopia

---