Geospatial Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon in the Bhima River Watershed Region of Solapur District, Maharashtra, India

Objectives: To determine the Soil Organic Carbon Density (SOCD) and to observe distribution of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in the Bhima River sub-watershed of Solapur. Methods/Analysis: The spatial distribution of Soil Organic Carbon and it density was shown by Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation technique using ArcGIS and the subsequent map generated in the process account for the fertility across the watershed and its longitudinal section. Total 36 sampling points were used for soil sampling and are processed for the output map. The land cover type of barren land and agriculture field were selected for soil sampling. Walkley and Black method was used for analysis of soil organic carbon and organic matter was calculated as a derived parameter. Findings: It is found that average soil bulk density was 1.15 gm cm-3 and the difference in SOCD from the minimum to maximum was 2.85 kg/m2 with average of 1.87 kg/m2. The lower values carbon was at high elevation and higher values were recorded nearer to mouth of river. There seems to be insignificant correlation between bulk density and SOC. Applications/Improvements: The SOC comparison between different land cover, clearly shows that agricultural terrains were richer as compared to barren lands. The outcome of the research could be of importance for the policy makers and management of agriculture, as SOC is the major nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems.