Spatial variability analysis of soil quality parameters in a watershed of Sub-Himalayan Landscape - A case study

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key component in maintaining soil quality. Mapping thelocal scale variations in the distribution and stratification of SOC and other soil qualityparameters across different layers has always been a challenging task, in the currentglobal scenario of changing climates. The study was aimed to investigate the spatialdistribution of SOC and other soil quality parameters including SOC stratification ratio andCN ratio in a small hilly watershed (̴ 10 km2) located in the mid Himalayan region ofHimachal Pradesh, India. Soil samples were collected in November 2015, from 75 points attwo depths (0-15 cm and 15-30cm), along with their geographical coordinates using aGlobal Positioning System (GPS). The results revealed that SOC concentration (g kg-1)decreased with increasing soil depth, throughout the study area and differed significantly(P