Sequestration of Soil Organic Carbon Pool under Different Land uses in Bilaspur District of Achanakmar, Chhattisgarh

Quality of soil depends on the management practices in response to the different land use systems which may often modify the soil properties and hence improve soil productivity through storage of various nutrients mostly, the soil organic carbon. Appropriate management of soils based on the adequate knowledge of SOC pools is necessary and would help to increase SOC levels for enhanced productivity and sustainability of different land uses. The present study was carried out to estimate soil organic carbon pool under four different land use systems viz. Forest land, Agriculture land, Grassland and Wasteland at three soil depths viz.020, 2050 and 50-100 cm in Bilaspur District of Achanakmar to know the sequestration potential of SOC pool. The SOC pool generally showed a negative trend with increasing soil depths within and among all land uses. The highest soil organic carbon pool was found in Forestland (166.88 t/ha), followed by Grassland (95.54 t/ha), Agricultural land (75.70 t/ha), and least was recorded in the Wasteland (57.05 t/ha). The overall percentage share of total SOC pools occupied under different land uses found in Achanakmar were forest land, both dense and open (81 %), agricultural land (17 %), grassland (01 %), and wasteland (01 %). The present study reveals that forest land use has a maximum potential in sequestration of soil organic carbon pool compared to other land uses in Achanakmar.