Assessment of physico-chemical properties of soil and carbon sequestration of natural sal (Shorea robusta) forest under different regimes of Jharkhand

Abstract

The present investigation on entitled “Assessment of Physico-chemical Properties of Soil and Carbon Sequestration of Natural Sal (Shorea robusta) Forest under Different Regimes of Jharkhand” was carried out during 2023-2024 at the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj to access the soil physico-chemical properties, biomass estimation and correlation studies. 20 x 20 m experimental plots were demarcated within the three Natural Sal Forest of Jharkhand. For assessing the physico-chemical properties of soil, the soil samples were collected from four depths i.e. 0 – 15, 15-30, 30-45 and 45-60 cm from five quadrants laid at each forest. The soil of the natural Sal forests was acidic in nature across all forests. The highest percent of organic carbon (2.10%) was found in Fudi Forest (F1, Q4). The nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, and K) content in all Sal forests ranged from moderate to high. The highest amount of biomass accumulation was observed in Fudi Sal forest (782.96 Mg ha-1). The highest rate of carbon sequestration was observed in Fudi Forest, which sequestered 1862.21 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon, the largest amount among the three forests. Correlation studies revealed a perfect positive correlation among all vegetative parameters at each of the four soil depths (r = 1.000).