Carbon cycling and balance in a traditional cardamom based agroforestry system of Sikkim Himalayas
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Tropical Ecology https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-020-00110-9
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Carbon cycling and balance in a traditional cardamom based agroforestry system of Sikkim Himalayas Nima Tshering Lepcha1 · N. Bijayalaxmi Devi1 Received: 28 September 2019 / Revised: 1 August 2020 / Accepted: 7 September 2020 © International Society for Tropical Ecology 2020
Abstract The pattern of carbon cycling dynamics in a 20 year old traditional cardamom agroforestry system located at Sikkim Himalaya was studied for two years to understand the dynamics of different carbon pools and carbon emission patterns in the system. Total biomass (aboveground + belowground) and carbon in trees were 81.91 ± 9.04 Mg ha−1 and 38.47 ± 4.25 Mg C ha−1, respectively and contributed 27% of the total ecosystem carbon. Herbs and detritus carbon were 2.34 ± 0.24 Mg C h a−1 and 3.64 ± 0.20 Mg C ha−1 respectively while cumulative soil organic carbon (SOC) stock ranged from 89.90 ± 2.16 (January) to 117.91 ± 3.12 Mg C h a−1(August) in the 0–45 cm soil layer. Seasonal microbial biomass carbon (MBC) stock varied from 501.34 to 857.77 µg g−1 while annual CO2 emission (SR) ranged from 112.11–219.29 mg CO2 m−2 h−1. SOC, MBC and SR exhibited strong seasonality with a peak value in rainy and least in the winter season. Carbon density of trees exhibited a positive and significant relation with tree density (P
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