Abstract
In recent decades, carbon (C) management is an important point on the agenda to identify the best viable mitigation strategies for its reduction. The study was conducted at Jaldapara National Park located in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The study quantified litter production, decomposition, periodic nutrient release, soil fertility status, and soil organic carbon (SOC) of five major forest stands i.e., Tectona grandis (TGDS), Shorea robusta (SRDS), Michelia champaca (MCDS), Lagerstroemia parviflora (LPDS) and miscellaneous stand (MS). A stratified random nested quadrate method was adopted for sample collection. Results reveal that the greatest amount of litter production and decomposition was under MCDS followed by MS, LPDS, SRDS, and the smallest under TGDS. The material annual turnover through litter decomposition in all the stands varies between 96.46% and 99.34%. The content and amount of the available nutrients in litter varied significantly among the stands. Moreover, release of these nutrients was nearly equal to the amount available in the initial litter mass. In general, the magnitude of the total nutrient return was in the same order as the total litter fall and the nutrient availability was more closely related to litter nutrient content and soil organic carbon. The range of pH (4.86–5.16), EC (0.34–0.50), soil moisture (27.01–31.03) and available primary nutrients (N: (0.21–0.26 Mg/ha), P: (0.09–0.12 Mg/ha), K: (0.13–0.14 Mg/ha)) also varied significantly among the stands. Significant positive correlations were observed between SOC, N and K. Both the fertility indices exhibited no definite pattern in the stands but a significant correlation between the two indicates the healthy soil fertility status of the stands. SOC varies significantly under different forest stands, but the greatest content was found under MS. The estimated SOC ranges between 75.9 and 107.7 Mg ha−1 up to 60 cm and is reported to be below the Indian average of 182.94 Mg ha−1. The present study strongly recommends that Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta, Michelia champaca, and Lagerstroemia parviflora should be the important commercial timbers of the Eastern Himalayan region because they may help further to increase the C sink in agricultural and degraded landscapes.
Highlights
Carbon management through enhancing carbon uptake and storage by plants and forests is globally recognized as a vital strategy to mitigate climate change [1,2].Assessing carbon sequestration of forest stands will help in prioritizing the tree speciesspecific land use practices to ensure sustainability and share carbon credits [1,3]
Litter production and periodic release of nutrients after litter decomposition were similar in these stands
All the stands were quantified with a similar amount of nutrients and soil organic carbon build up, which indicated a similar soil fertility status of these stands, either mixed-species stands or single-species dominant stands
Summary
Carbon management through enhancing carbon uptake and storage by plants and forests is globally recognized as a vital strategy to mitigate climate change [1,2]. Organic matter (OM) is vital for the forest ecosystem; it influences the carbon dynamics and further changes the regional and/or global carbon budgets It is worth quantifying the carbon in forest soil in addition to litter production and soil fertility status (i.e., soil fertility index and soil evaluation factor). The carbon sequestration potential of different forest-based land uses in India was estimated through quantification of litter fall, biomass, and carbon stock in biomass, but their SOC pool is yet to be estimated properly as most of the attempts were based on an indirect estimation of bulk density along with a limited understanding of structural and functional relationships of forests [5,6,7]. The present study will be of great help in understanding the carbon dynamics in the Himalaya region, so that advanced mitigation steps may be taken to safeguard the future climate
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