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Soil carbon pool and dynamics of different fractions in subalpine temperate coniferous forests of Western Himalaya, India

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Abstract

Natural forests have the ability to sequester atmospheric carbon for a long time and fix it into the soil through a variety of processes such as decomposition and root respiration. The changing environment of alpine forests alters the characteristics of soil carbon, causing it to be divided into several components. The current study looked at soil carbon fractions and how they changed over time, both annually and seasonally, at different depths and along an altitudinal gradient. Seasonal sampling was carried out at three depths, with standard procedures employed to estimate the results of soil carbon fractions. The results showed that the surface layer (10 cm) had the highest value of all soil qualities such as SOC, Fraction I, Fraction II, Fraction III, SOM and active pool of carbon than the subsurface (20 cm and 30 cm) layers with autumn dominating the seasons. Site 1 had the highest value and Site 4 lowest, indicating that altitudinal variance had a direct relationship with distinct soil fractions. On an annual basis, the corresponding soil carbon fraction variation was examined, revealing the maximum retention capability at 30 cm of depth. According to the findings, the soils of the Western Himalayas have a high potential for carbon sequestration and conversion into various fractions, with significant annual and seasonal change due to changing environmental conditions.

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Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgment

The author wishes to express his gratitude to the Divisional Forest Officer of the Lidder and Anantnag divisions for granting permission to conduct samples and the rangers of concern ranges, foresters and forest guards for their assistance throughout the research. School of Studies in Botany is acknowledged for offering necessary laboratory facilities. Dr. Brijesh Kumar, Rayees Ahmad Mir and Musadiq Hussain Bhat deserve special thanks for their helpful recommendations and encouragement.

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  1. School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India

    Muzamil Ahmad Sheikh, Avinash Tiwari, Jasra Anjum & Sangeeta Sharma

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  1. Muzamil Ahmad Sheikh
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  3. Jasra Anjum
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Sheikh, M.A., Tiwari, A., Anjum, J. et al. Soil carbon pool and dynamics of different fractions in subalpine temperate coniferous forests of Western Himalaya, India. Environ Monit Assess 193, 756 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09545-6

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