Soil organic carbon variation under sub-tropical forest of Himachal Pradesh, India

It is important to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) content of natural forests for an understanding of the Himalayan ecosystem. In this study SOC concentration was evaluated at three different soil depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) under Anogeissus latifolia (site I) and Pinus roxburghii (site II) forest stands in Himachal Pradesh, India. SOC (%) in these forests ranged from 0.37% to 2.20% up to 30 cm soil depth and was higher at site I compared to site II. Tree density was also more at site I than site II. The present study shows that the tree species can influence SOC of the forest ecosystem, but other environmental parameters such as soil type, moisture and pH are also responsible for changes in the soil carbon sequestration potential. Carbon sequestration in the study area showed significant contribution in minimizing the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and improving soil quality.