Long term effects of natural and plantation forests on carbon sequestration and soil properties in mid-hill sub-humid condition of Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Natural forests of Quercus, Pinus roxburghii, Oak and pine, mixed broad leaved, Acacia catechu, scrub and grassland and eight different planted tree species viz., Quercus leucotrichophora, P. roxburghii, Acacia catechu, Acacia mollissima, Albizia procera, Alnus nitida, Eucalyptus tereticornis and Ulmus villosa were studied for carbon sequestration and soil properties. In natural forest, maximum and minimum biomass was produced in P. roxburghii (214.90 t ha-1) and grasslands (10.87 t ha-1), respectively. Maximum carbon sequestration was in P. roxburghii (107.5 2.43 tha-1) and minimum in grassland (5.44 t ha-1) . In natural forest, detritus carbon sequestration varied from 0.49 t ha-1 in grassland to 12.24 t ha-1 in mixed broad leaved. Soil carbon sequestration ranged from 156.64 t ha-1 in grassland to 238.53 t ha-1 in natural forest of A. catechu.