Temperate Soils of India with Special Reference to Soil Carbon and their Management

摘要

Temperate soils cover approximately 8.7 of the total land area of India, and includes the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and some parts of the Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in north-eastern India. These soils are mostly developed under the temperate forests comprising deciduous, broad-leaved and coniferous evergreen trees showing diverse agroclimatic and geographical situations. The temperate soils are generally acidic containing high organic carbon at the surface which shows an increasing trend with the increase in altitude. These are also characterized by low cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation. With the variation in altitude, and climate, these areas support a variety of distinct plant and animal species under diverse pedogenic processes resulting in varied soil ecosystems. The soils of temperate Himalayas in India are under threat due to global climate change and require more attention towards the conservation and management of the forests.