Carbon Sequestration Potential of Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern Plateau and Hill Region of India: a Promising Approach Toward Climate Change Mitigation

Plantation tree species have an immense potential for significantly reducing the atmospheric carbon dioxide and hence regulating climate change. The present study assessed the role of tree species to store carbon and soil enrichment in the eastern plateau and hill region of India. The species investigated were Leucaena leucophala, Gmelina arborea, Cassia siamea, and Eucalyptus tereticornis. The plantation of trees was found to have higher levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) (0.53–0.62%), nitrogen (239.12–253.01 kg ha−1), phosphorus (37.02–38.79 kg ha−1), and potassium (175.47–237.22 kg ha−1) over the non-forested land (control) but was lower in the levels of pH (5.28–5.95) and bulk density (1.32–1.52 g cm−3). However, as soil depth increased, the nutritional status of both plantation and non-forested land soil decreased. The per cent SOC was the highest in surface layers, while the bulk density was the highest in sub-surface layers under different forest plantations. The maximum SOC (0.62%) and bulk density (1.52 g cm−3) were present in Gmelina arborea and Eucalyptus tereticornis plantation, respectively. Among the studied tree species, the soil carbon density and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) were found to be maximum (13.56 t ha−1 and 1.28 t ha−1 year−1) in Gmelina arborea followed by Eucalyptus tereticornis, Cassia siamea, and Leucaena leucocephala, respectively, depicting that these tree species have a stronger capacity to sequester and store carbon, making them suitable as atmospheric carbon reducers. The study also demonstrated that forest plantation enhanced the SOC, nutrient stock, and other crucial soil fertility indicators compared to non-forested site.