Assessing soil organic carbon and its relation with biophysical and ecological parameters in tropical forest ecosystem India

Abstract

Organic matter in soil is an essential parameter for assessing the agrodynamic productivity of soils. Forest productivity and health largely depend on soil organic carbon (SOC). This study aims to assess SOC levels and analyze their relationship with biophysical parameters in tropical forests. SOC was predicted using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values derived from Sentinel-2A imagery. A total of 30 samples were collected through stratified random sampling based on NDVI values to estimate SOC. Regression analysis was performed between the estimated and predicted SOC, showing a strong correlation. The results indicated that SOC decreased with increasing soil depth in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, ranging from 8.27 - 26.54 t/ha at 5 cm depth and 1.9- 12.4 t/ha at 10 cm depth. NDVI was positively correlated with SOC, while the Bare Soil Index (BSI) showed a negative correlation. Additionally, soil pH and SOC were positively correlated, indicating high SOC levels. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.