Spatial Variation in Soil Organic Carbon and Moisture Content in Forest Soil around Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad
Paper Details
Spatial Variation in Soil Organic Carbon and Moisture Content in Forest Soil around Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad
Abstract
Soil Organic Carbon is the major determinant of soil quality because of its impact on other physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Soil moisture is the water present in the soil and determines soil carbon dynamics by controlling litter degradation, microbial decomposition and other processes. Soil moisture and soil organic carbon shows a direct relationship and soil organic carbon increases with increase in moisture. Spatial observation of changes in soil organic carbon and moisture gradient, greatly helps in site selection for different soil quality assessment, flooding and drought prediction, irrigation plan, agricultural management and land use programme which may lead to simultaneous improvement in productivity and conservation. In the present study, we reported this relationship in a coal contaminated region situated in the eastern part of India. The whole study area is under the direct/indirect impact of the coal mining activities. This was found that around the Jharia coalfield region, both Soil organic carbon and moisture content shows a high positive correlation of 0.81 (Co-efficient of determination (0.66).
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