Spatial analysis of soil quality using geospatial techniques in Botanic Garden of Indian Republic, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Ex-situ conservation places such as botanical gardens require sufficient soil quality to support introduced species from various phytogeographical zones. The soil quality of the Botanic Garden of Indian Republic (BGIR), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was evaluated to quantify soil nutrients. The dependency of one nutrient on the other nutrients was investigated using Pearson correlation and Multilinear regression analysis (MLRA). At the 0.05 level of significance, the nutrients Log10S and Log10EC (r = 0.97), N and OC (r = 0.98), Mn and OC (r = 0.97), Mn and N (r = 0.92), Ca and pH (r = - 0.91), Cu and Fe (r = 0.94) were found to be associated. Correspondence Analysis (C.A.) has been performed to find the association of soil elements with the soil type of study site. The spatial indices like NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), EVI2 (Enhanced Vegetation Index), ARVI (Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index), NPCRI (Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index), RDVI (Renormalized Difference Vegetation Index) have shown significant correlation with the Log(10)S, Mg, Log(10)Zn, B and Fe respectively (with respective Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.88, r = - 0.90, r = - 0.93, r = 0.91, r = 0.92 at P < 0.05). ARVI, along with other indices SCI (Soil Composition Index), NDMI (Normalized Difference Moisture Index), and MSAVI (Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index), are also the predictor variables for Log(10)Zn (r = - 0.89, r = - 0.88 r = 0.92 at P < 0.05 respectively). MAVI2 (Moisture Adjusted Vegetation Index) positively correlates with OC, Mn content (r = 0.91, r = 0.93 respectively). MSAVI is negatively interrelated with Ca (r = - 0.89), SCI is negatively interrelated with Log(10) K (r = - 0.98), BSI (Bare Soil Index) is positively associated with pH (r = 0.91), and negatively with Ca (r = - 0.93). At the same time, other indices like SAVI (Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index), SATVI (Soil Adjusted Total Vegetation Index), NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index), and DVI (Difference Vegetation Index) have failed to explain the presence of soil nutrients based on spectral reflectance. This study is important for understanding the changing nutrient status of soil at the conservation site for successfully establishing plants from different phytogeographical zones.