Assessment of Low-Cost In-Situ Soil Moisture Conservation Measures on Soil Properties and Nutrient Availability in the Chir Pine Forests

The study was carried out in the subtropical chir pine forest located within the Mussoorie Forest Division, Uttarakhand, part of the Western Himalayan region. The study aimed to investigate how low-cost in-situ soil moisture conservation measures affect the soil properties and nutrient availability in chir pine forests. The ranges of pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium in the forest soil were 5.56 to 5.71; 0.055 to 0.073 mS/cm; 0.99 to 1.58%; 1.25 to 1.29%; 20.21 to 27.51 kg per ha; and 242.95 to 314.16 kg per ha, respectively. The trend of phosphorus availability for plants changed with changes in the soil pH. The maximum available phosphorus (27.51 kg per ha) was at soil pH of 5.58 in earthen bund treatments. In contrast, the minimum available phosphorus (20.21 kg per ha) was observed at 5.68 soil pH in the pine needle bund + grasses treatment. The highest available potassium was recorded in the pine needle bund treatment (314 kg per ha) at 5.56 pH and the lowest in the shallow ditch treatment (242.95 kg per ha at 5.66 soil pH. The relationship between total nitrogen percentage and organic carbon was positive. The findings highlight that soil moisture conservation treatments have the potential to enhance nutrient availability and fertility in the soil, which will ultimately promote the sustainability of chir pine forests.