Estimation of Soil Carbon Stock and Soil Respiration Rate of Recreational and Natural Forests in India

Abstract

Soil contains good amount of carbon stock. The amount of carbon stock depends on soil texture, climatic parameters, vegetation, land-use pattern, and soil moisture. The study has been conducted at four sites in the recreational and natural forests in India. The main objective of this study is to estimate the soil carbon stock and soil respiration rate of recreational and natural forests in plain land in eastern India. At Banobitan – a recreational forest, soil was slightly alkaline; moisture content ranged between 7.26% and 9.74%, and soil texture was sandy loam. Total carbon and soil organic carbon (SOC) ranged from 24.2 to 36.5 and 2.8–8.3 g/kg, respectively. At Indian Botanic Garden – a recreational forest, soil was slightly acidic in nature; moisture content varied between 16.2% and 21.7%, and soil texture was clayey loam. Total carbon and soil organic carbon in the soil varied between 58 and 80.1 and 8.3 and 12.6 g/kg, respectively. At Chandra – a natural forest, soil was slightly acidic in nature; moisture content ranged between 3.2% and 11.4%, and soil texture was sandy loam. Total carbon and soil organic carbon ranged from 15 to 23.2 and 1.4–1.5 g/kg, respectively. At Chilapata forest – a natural forest, soil was slightly acidic in nature; moisture content varied between 22.1% and 26.0% and soil texture was loamy. Total carbon and soil organic carbon in the soil varied between 45.7 and 62.5 and 7.4 and 12.8 g/kg, respectively. Estimated mean soil total carbon and mean soil organic carbon stock at Banobitan, Indian Botanic Garden, Chandra, and Chilapata forests were 43.70 and 7.99, 96.32 and 14.57, 27.31 and 2.07, and 75.52 and 13.73 Mg C/ha, respectively. Estimated annual soil respiration rates of Banobitan, Indian Botanic Garden, Chandra, and Chilapata were 2.07, 3.34, 0.61, and 4.18 t C/ha/year, respectively.