A study was conducted to estimate the organic carbon pool in the soils under different forest types in Himachal Pradesh. Soil organic carbon (SOC) pool was also estimated in all forests sub-group types available in Himachal Pradesh. Maximum pool was in the soils under moist Alpine Scrub (73.26 tonnes/ha) followed by Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests (55.20 tonnes/ha), Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests (47.61 tonnes/ha) and Sub-alpine Forests (45.67 tonnes/ha) and the least was under Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests (36.04 tonnes/ha). Moist Alpine Forests had maximum mitigation potential (2.03) and the least was in Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests (1.00). Maximum share was occupied by Moist Alpine Scrub (28%) followed by Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests (21%), Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests (19%), Sub-alpine Forests (18%) and the least was occupied by Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests (14%). SOC pool under Moist Alpine Forests was statistically significantly different from the SOC pool under Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests, Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests, Sub-alpine Forests and Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests.
Soil Organic Carbon, SOC, mitigation potential, forest types
