Effects of Sandy Desertified Land Reclamation on Soil Carbon Sequestration (Key Study: Kerman province)

Document Type : Research Paper

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Dept. Arid Zone Management Faculty of Watershed and Arid Zone Management Gorgan, Gorgan University of Agriculural Sciences and Natural Resources

Abstract

Desertification leads to decrease in the ecosystem C pool and attendant reduction in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). Reclamation of sandy land in arid and semi-arid has a high potential to increase carbon sequestration and improving soil quality. Our objective as to examine the changes in the soil carbon sequestration and soil properties of two soil layers (0–20 and 20-50 cm) under two types of reclamation management. Our study was in the desertification control sites in shifting sand land of Kerman province in Iran. In this region Atriplex canescens and Haloxylon ammodendron species have been planted for erosion control. According to the research objectives, were taken 24 samples of soil from each depth (under canopy cover and control sit) whit Systematic – random method. Soil carbon sequestration was determined by Walkley–Black method .The results showed that the reclamation of severe sandy desertified land resulted in significant increases in soil organic carbon (SOC), SOC concentration caused by the planting Haloxylon and Atriplex species, increased by 16.2 and 18.1 ton/ha compared to the control site (shifting sand land) after 20 years. The rate of carbon sequestration in soil in the Atriplex area was more than Haloxylon area. Therefore, it is concluded that A.canescens had better performance in desert rehabilitation project to carbon sequestration in sandy land of Jupar area than H.ammodendron.

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