Soil Carbon Sequestration as Climate Change Mitigation: A Case Study of Change in Soil Organic Carbon Stock and Carbon Sequestration During Last Three Decades in Dewa Block of District Barabanki (U.P.) India

Climate change mitigation is the stabilization of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) concentration in the atmosphere. It is generally involves reductions in human emissions of GHGs. Carbon stored in soils represents the largest carbon pool in nearly all terrestrial biomes and thus it has a huge potential for either sequestering or releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Soil Carbon Sequestration is the process of transferring of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the soil through crop residues and other organic solids. Present studies were carried out to assess the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and carbon sequestration due to change in land use and three decades time interval (1986 - 2016) in different soil series of Dewa Block, District Barabanki, U.P., India. Dewa block was categorized in eight soil series i.e., Gangauli, Bajgahani, Sihali, Ukhadi, Nayagaon, Dadra, Nigari and Maharaur soil series. Gangauli and Sihali soil series were Udic Ustochrepts while Bajgahani, Nayagaon and Maharaur were Aeric Halaquept. Ukhdi and Nigari were Natric Ustochrepts but Dadra soil series was Typic Ustochrepts. The SOC stock significantly increased in surface soil than the sub-surface soil in forested, cultivated and uncultivated soil in Udic Ustochrepts, Aeric Halaquept, Natric Ustochrept and Typic Ustochrept during last three decades. The soil carbon sequestration were ranged from 20.34-32.41 Mt CO2 equivalent ha-1 in surface of Udic Ustochrepts while in subsurface it was ranged 29.72-33.02 Mt CO2 equivalent ha-1 that was significantly increased after three decades in surface (53.95 – 58.92 Mt CO2 equivalent ha-1) as well as in subsurface soil (41.77 – 59.01 Mt CO2 equivalent ha-1). Similar trends were also observed in Aeric Halaquept, Natric Ustochrept and Typic Ustochrept. Although, carbon sequestration were observed low that was increased many fold after three decades in all soil types. Thus, present work concluded that carbon dioxide can be reduced through absorption by soil in form of SOC that will helpful to mitigation of climate change.