Assessing Soil Organic Carbon Pool for Potential Climate-Change Mitigation in Agricultural Soils—A Case Study Fayoum Depression, Egypt

Abstract

It is essential to assess the soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) in dry environments to apply appropriate management techniques that address sustainable development. A significant opportunity for sustaining agricultural output and reducing climate change is the storage of soil organic carbon in agricultural soil. The goal of this study was to measure the spatial variability of SOCP content, and determine the effects of soil texture, changes in land use, and land cover on SOCP in surface soil samples. The study additionally investigated the relationships between SOCP and other characteristics, including the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST), as well as the effects of increasing soil organic carbon on the amount of greenhouse gases. To accomplish this goal, 45 soil surface samples were collected to a depth of 30 cm at the Fayoum depression in Egypt, and analyzed. The soil samples were representative of various soil textures and land uses. The average SOCP concentration in cultivated regions is 32.1 and in bare soils it is 6.5 Mg ha−1, with areas of 157,112.94 and 16,073.27 ha, respectively. According to variances in soil textures, sandy soils have the lowest SOCP (1.8 Mg ha−1) and clay loam soils have the highest concentrations (49 Mg ha−1). Additionally, fruit-growing regions have the greatest SOCP values and may therefore be better suited for carbon sequestration. The overall average SOCP showed 32.12 Mg C ha−1 for cultivated areas. A rise in arable land was accompanied by a 112,870.09 Mg C rise in SOCP. With an increase in soil organic carbon, stored carbon dioxide emissions (greenhouse gases) would be reduced by 414,233.24 Mg CO2. We should consider improving fertilization, irrigation methods, the use of the multiple cropping index, decreasing desertion rates, appropriate crop rotation, and crop variety selection. The research highlights the significance of expanding cultivated areas towards sustainable carbon sequestration and the climate-change-mitigation potential.