Effect of integrated watershed management on vegetation cover, soil organic carbon and soil fertility in mid-hills of Nepal

This research was objectively carried out to evaluate the effect of integrated management on watersheds. Thus, well managed and poorly managed watersheds were selected; where samples from three altitudinal ranges, four land use types and three consecutive soil depths were taken. Changes in vegetation cover was also analysed. The result showed an increase in vegetation cover by 27.82 % in well managed, and decrease in vegetation cover by 38.33% in poorly managed watershed from 1992 to 2015.  Soil organic carbon was found highest (43.57 t/ha) in shrublands of altitudinal range of 1700 -2000 m of well managed, and lowest (3.94 t/ha) in shrublands of below 1700m in poorly managed watershed. This paper summarises that the integrated watershed management is crucial for increasing organic carbon content at the watershed level, as a contribution to climate change mitigation.