Assessment of physical properties of soil and organic carbon distribution in Srinagar city of Kashmir Himalaya

Abstract

Urban soils are victimized hotspots of compaction and other anthropogenic pressures. Present study deliberated on bulk density, moisture content, coarse fraction and distribution of soil organic carbon in Srinagar city of Kashmir Himalaya. In this study, 3 highly polluted roadsides sites (Pantha Chowk, Bemina and Dalgate) and a control site (Dara) were selected. The results show that overall mean value for bulk density was highest at Pantha Chowk (1.38 g cm-3) and lowest value of 1.11 g cm-3 at Dara. The mean maximum soil moisture (21.03 %) was recorded at Dara and lowest value at Pantha Chowk (11.03 %). Similarly, overall mean of coarse fraction was highest at Patha Chowk, whereas, lowest value corresponded to Dara. Mean values of soil organic carbon were highest (1.02 %) at Dara, and Pantha Chowk exhibited minimum mean value of 0.35 %. It is concluded that soils with low moisture content, high bulk density and high coarse fraction have comparatively less organic carbon content which reveal that site is highly disturbed and subjected to some degree of compaction due to anthropogenic pressures.