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Distribution of soil carbon fractions under different bamboo species in northwest Himalayan foothills, India

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Abstract

Soil carbon and its fractions are important in understanding the mechanism of soil carbon sequestration. The present study evaluated the impact of seven commercial bamboo species, viz., Bambusa balcooa, B. bambos, B. vulgaris, B. nutans, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, D. stocksii, and D. strictus, on labile and non-labile carbon fractions. In the 0–15-cm layer, B. nutans had the highest very labile C (7.65 g kg−1) followed by B. vulgaris > B. balcooa > D. stocksii > D. hamiltonii > B. bambos > D. strictus > open. The active carbon pool was significantly low under the control plot (i.e. the open) indicating the positive influence of bamboo in soil C build-up in the top 0–15 cm soil layer. Amongst the different species of bamboo evaluated in this study, D. strictus accumulated the highest active C pool in 0–30-cm soil layer followed by B. vulgaris. Of the total organic C in the 0–30 cm soil depth, majority (55–60%) was contributed by the passive C pool comprising the less labile and the non-labile fraction of SOC. A high value of carbon stratification ratio (> 2) was observed for D. strictus, B. bambos, and D. hamiltonii which proves their potential for restoration of the degraded lands. The majority of bamboo species except for B. balcooa and D. stocksii showed a higher carbon management index than open systems, thereby indicating higher rates of soil C rehabilitation. Of the seven bamboo species, B. vulgaris, D. strictus, and B. nutans can be adopted for cultivation in the northwest Himalayas given their ability to positively impact the SOC and its fractions in both surface and sub-surface soil.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the State Forest Department, Uttarakhand, India, and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) with its project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and European Union (EU). The financial help received is duly acknowledged. The authors are thankful to the ICAR and the Director of the Institute for providing the necessary facilities to conduct the work. The authors are also highly thankful to Mr. Ravish Singh and Ms. Sarita Gupta for the data collection, field and lab support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, India

    Rajesh Kaushal, Trisha Roy, S. Thapliyal, D. Mandal, D. V. Singh, J. M. S. Tomar, H. Mehta & P. R. Ojasvi

  2. International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, China

    J. Durai

  3. National Bamboo Mission, New Delhi, India

    S. T. S. Lepcha

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  1. Rajesh Kaushal
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  2. Trisha Roy
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  3. S. Thapliyal
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  4. D. Mandal
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  9. S. T. S. Lepcha
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Correspondence to Rajesh Kaushal or Trisha Roy.

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Kaushal, R., Roy, T., Thapliyal, S. et al. Distribution of soil carbon fractions under different bamboo species in northwest Himalayan foothills, India. Environ Monit Assess 194, 205 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09839-3

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