Impact Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Carbon Sequestration: A Case Study for the Tropical Watershed Using Advanced Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

A sustainable method for protecting natural resources is the adoption of recommended soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. SWC measures are well recognized for their effective soil protection and water harvesting. Unfortunately, their significance in climate change mitigation has yet to receive global attention. The present study was conducted to highlight the applicability of SWC measures for carbon management in watersheds. In this study, the impact of SWC measures on land cover, soil erosion, carbon loss, and carbon sequestration were investigated using advanced techniques of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS). The study was conducted in the Central Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) campus watershed, located in the rainfed region of Maharashtra, India. The watershed is already treated with various scientifically planned SWC measures. Following the implementation of conservation measures in the watershed, average annual soil loss was reduced from 18.68 to 9.41 t ha−1yr−1 and carbon loss was reduced from 348.71 to 205.52 kgC ha−1yr−1. It was found that deep continuous contour trenches (DCCT) constructed on barren, forest, and horticultural land have the soil carbon sequestration rates of 0.237, 0.723, and 0.594 t C ha−1yr−1, respectively, for 0–30 cm depth of soil. Similarly, compartment bunds constructed on agricultural land have a soil carbon sequestration rate of 0.612 t C ha−1yr−1. These findings can be of great importance in the planning and management of climate-resilient watersheds.