Isaac Scientific Publishing

Annals of Advanced Agricultural Sciences

Effects of Different Land Use Changes and Spatial Variation in Rainfall on Soil Properties and Soil Carbon Storage in Western Rajasthan, India

Download PDF (355.9 KB) PP. 43 - 53 Pub. Date: November 3, 2017

DOI: 10.22606/as.2017.12001

Author(s)

  • G. Singh*
    Division of Forest Ecology, Arid Forest Research Institute, New Pali Road, Jodhpur-342005
  • Ritu Sharma
    Division of Forest Ecology, Arid Forest Research Institute, New Pali Road, Jodhpur-342005

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important indicator of both soil productivity and climate
change mitigation. However, changes in land uses coupled with variability in air temperature, rainfall
and frequent droughts affect SOC stock and hence people livelihoods. SOC was estimated by
sampling soils in 0-30 cm soil layers from six dominant land use types like roadside, Oran (sacred
groves), gauchar, agriculture land, forest and fallow land in 102 villages (10% of total village)
randomly selected from six panchayat samiti (blocks) namely Aburoad, Bali, Sanchor, Sankada, Bap
and Baitu situated in Sirohi, Pali, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Barmer district, respectively in
Western Rajasthan. Rainfall (197.0- 689.5 mm annually), human (3.6- 11.5 person) and livestock (2–
11 animals) population per household varied widely between the blocks and influenced soil gravel
content (3.7- 40.6%), bulk density (1.2- 1.8 g cm-3) and SOC (0.06- 0.64%) concentration. SOC stock
varied (P<0.05) spatially between 0.66 tons ha-1in Baitu and 16.33 tons ha-1in Aburoad. Different
blocks fell in order Baitu<Sankara<Bap<Sanchor<Bali <Aburoad for soil carbon stock. About 1.63-
fold variations in SOC stock between highest (fallowland) and lowest (roadside) signified the
importance of differing cultivation. SOC stock enhanced by increased rainfall and compost addition
in farmland, but negatively affected by increased dune formation (sandy soils), soil gravel and stone
fraction and increased livestock population per household. This indicates high potential of carbon
sequestration through re-afforestation and restoration of these degraded lands by minimizing the
negative factors.

Keywords

Land use, carbon stock, rainfall, relationships.

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