Unravelling the carbon pools and carbon stocks under different land uses of Conoor region in Western Ghats of India

Abstract

Land uses are pivotal in global carbon cycles. The native forest lands possess a greater potential to sequester higher carbon, which can directly address soil quality and climate change problems. Unfortunately, the rapid conversion of forests to other land use over the past few decades has significantly declined the concentration of carbon in the soils. Therefore, in order to estimate the impact of land-use change (LUC) on soil carbon status, this present study was attempted under major ecosystems (Forest (FOR), cropland (CRP), tea plantation (TEA)) of Conoor. Results from findings revealed that total organic carbon (TOC) concentration and carbon pools were significantly (p<0.05) higher in FOR than in CRP and TEA. TOC (0-45 cm) recorded in FOR, CRP and TEA was 32.88, 11.87 and 18.84 g kg-1 and it decreased along the depth increment. Carbon stock (t ha-1) in FOR, CRP and TEA (0-45cm) was 68.10, 26.04, 42.42. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was higher in FOR (283.08 mg kg-1) followed by TEA (94.64 mg kg-1) and CRP (76.22 mg kg-1). The microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) followed; FOR > TEA > CRP. These results clearly indicate that the LUC has inflicted a greater impact on soil carbon status and its extent was quantified using the land degradation index (LDI). The LDI (0-45 cm) recorded in CRP (-38.65) and TEA (-61.75) signals the need for immediate implementation of carbon management strategies in the CRP and TEA ecosystem to keep the soils of Conoor alive and prevent land degradation.