Soil organic carbon pools and Carbon sequestration of major Agroforestry tree species in semiarid region

Abstract A study was conducted to estimate soil organic carbon pools and the carbon sequestration of major agroforestry tree species in semiarid region of Telangana during the year, 2022. Major agroforestry tree species studied were eucalyptus, malabar neem, sandal wood, red sanders, teak, subabul, malabar neem + sandal wood, red sanders + sandalwood and barren land. There is an interaction between land use systems and soil depth. Significantly higher organic carbon (6.17 g kg− 1) was recorded in the eucalyptus tree species at 0–20 cm soil depth. Significantly low organic carbon (1.41 g kg− 1) was recorded in barren land at 20–40 cm soil depth. Significantly higher values of soil organic carbon pools viz., very labile (3.64 g kg− 1), labile (2.56 g kg− 1), less labile (2.11 g kg− 1) and nonlabile (2.06 g kg− 1), total organic carbon (10.37 g kg− 1) were recorded under eucalyptus tree species at 0–20 cm. Significantly low soil organic carbon pools viz., very labile (1.10 g kg− 1), labile (0.51 g kg− 1), less labile (0.66 g kg− 1), nonlabile (0.88 g kg− 1), total organic carbon (3.15g kg− 1) were recorded under barren land at 20–40 cm soil depth. Carbon sequestration of eucalyptus tree species ranged from 15 to 821 kg tree− 1(5–15 years), teak ranged from 11 to 704 kg tree− 1 (5–20 years), malabar neem ranged from 118–392 kg tree− 1 (5–8 years), sandalwood ranged from 33–164 kg tree− 1 (5–8 years), red sanders ranged from 17–611 kg tree− 1 (5–10 years), subabul ranged from 11–591 kg tree− 1 (5–10 years). There was significant and positive correlation between soil organic carbon and organic carbon pool and carbon sequestration. Amount of carbon sequestered by all these tree species was positively correlated with organic carbon of their respective soils (r = 0.408). This study reported the rate of carbon sequestration by these tree species and their importance in raising them in barren lands and as border plantations.