Converting primary forests to cultivated lands: Long-term effects on the vertical distribution of soil carbon and biological activity in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya

Abstract

The conversion of primary forests to cultivation brings a significant change in soil carbon (C) forms. In the foothills of the Eastern Himalayan Region of India (Manipur), such conversions are prevalent. However, little is known about the response of C forms, particularly in deep soil, to land use conversion in the region. We evaluated changes in soil C forms (total organic, inorganic, and pools) and microbiological properties (up to 1.0 m depth) mediated by C when the 45-year-old forest had been cultivated for 18–25 years. The cultivated land uses were tree-based agroforestry (LAF: legumes, NAF: non-legumes), horticultural fruits (WHF: woody, NHF: non-wood, mainly vegetables), and paddy agriculture system (AUS: upland, ALS: lowlands). Forest conversion significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the total carbon (TC) in the surface soil (0.0–0.15 m) from 4.88 % to 3.04–3.93 % in the tree-based land uses (LAF, NAF, and WHF). TC further declined to 2.05–2.81 % under seasonal crops (NHF, AUS, and ALS). Seasonal crop cultivation also caused a higher decline in microbial biomass carbon, soil enzymes, and carbon pools (active and passive) than the tree-based land use with the soil depth. The vertical distribution of C in the soil profile was inconsistent: organic C (including C pools) decreased, while inorganic C increased. The profile TC stock to a depth of 1.0 m in the forest was 358.8 Mg ha−1, of which 81 % were organic C, and 19 % were inorganic C. In comparison with forest soil, total soil C stocks (organic and inorganic) decreased more (−44.1 to −55.1 %) in seasonal crops than in tree-based (−15.4 to −36.3 %) land uses. The degradation index (DI) also confirmed that seasonal crop cultivation caused a larger decline in surface soil quality (DI: −423 % to −623 %) than tree-based land use (DI: −243 % to −317 %). The topsoil (up to 0.45 m) of seasonal crops was more degraded than that of the subsoil (>0.45 m–1.0 m). Forests converted to seasonal cultivation (upland rice and vegetables) caused higher degradation of soil C forms and overall soil health in the Himalayan foothills of northeastern India. We suggest the promotion of Agroforestry based on legumes (Parkia spp.) and woody fruits (mango/citrus/guava) in the uplands to minimize soil C degradation while ensuring nutritional security in the hill agro-ecosystems of the Indian Himalayas.