Informatics Publishing Limited

Bilal Ali Khaki ¹, Akhlaq Amin Wani ², D. R. Bhardwaj ³, V. R. R. Singh ⁴

Affiliations
1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, Bemina, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, IN
2 Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama, Ganderbal, Jammu & Kashmir, IN
3 Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr. Y.S. Parmar, U.H.F. Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, IN
4 Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, IN

Abstract

Trees are known to maintain soil organic matter and nutrient cycling through the addition of litter and ischolar_main residues into the soil. There is a large potential of sequestering carbon in soil and vegetation by adopting suitable agroforestry systems. The present investigation was conducted during January-June 2007 at Poanta valley of Himachal Pradesh, located at an elevation of 350 m amsl. Six agroforestry systems were selected viz. hortipastoral system (HP) (Mango + natural grasses), silvi-pastoral system (SP) (Dalbergia sissoo+ natural grasses), agri- silviculture system (AS) (Sal + wheat), horti-silvipastoral (HSP) (Mango+ Poplar + natural grasses), Pure Forest (F) (Sal), natural grass land (NG) (pure grasses). At 0-20 cm depth, soils under natural grassland was having higher bulk density (1.28g cm^-3 ) among all the systems while lowest bulk density (1.16 g cm^-3 ) was observed under forest. In 20-40 cm depth, the results also showed significant variation at 5% level of significance. Soil organic carbon (SOC) at the soil depth 0-20 cm was highest under forest (3.64 %) while silvi-pastoral system showed the lowest (1.30 %). In general, SOC pool in the 0-20 cm layer was quite higher than that of 20-40 cm layer. The total SOC pool for different Agroforestry system followed the decreasing order as PF (1373.7 Mg ha^-1) > HSP (719.6 Mg ha^-1) > AS (697.3 Mg ha^-1) > NG (696.5 Mg ha^-1) > HP (646 Mg ha^-1) > SP (599.10 Mg ha^-1).

Keywords

Soil Organic Carbon, Agroforestry, Horti-Silvipastoral, Silvi-Pastoral, Agri-Silvicultural.

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