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This chapter discusses the magnitude and dynamics of the soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pools. The chapter also describes the impact of different land uses and management systems on these pools as sources or sinks of C in relation to the global C cycle and the potential greenhouse effect. The principal objective of the chapter is to collate and synthesize available information on the soil C pool, historic loss of the soil C pool, the impact of land use and management practices that make the soil a source or sink for C, and the potential of world cropland soils to sequester C and mitigate the accelerated greenhouse effect. The strategy of soil C sequestration is a short-term, a partial solution to the potential risk of the accelerated greenhouse effect. Soil C sinks, as a major component of the net biome productivity, are important over short periods of time, but are not enough on a long-term basis to offset fossil-fuel emissions.