Soil nutrient dynamics in land-use patterns of the Garhwal Himalaya: An assessment for sustainable land management in India

Macronutrients play an essential role in plant growth and development because they contribute to plant structure and help with key chemical processes. Providing these nutrients typically boosts plant growth, improves yield, and enhances overall crop yield and quality. Despite extensive research in Himalayan ecosystems, only a few studies so far have examined soil macronutrients across land-use types, soil depths, and elevation gradients together. The previous studies have been mostly analyzed on the surface soils (0–30 cm) and limited nutrients. However, this research carried out on six macronutrients in five different land use patterns and three soil depths providing a more comprehensive assessment of nutrient dynamics and spatial variability. This study addresses the knowledge gap providing a comprehensive evaluation of nutrient distribution in the Garhwal Himalaya. This approach fills a key gap in Himalayan soil fertility research. This study assessed soil nutrient status across different land-use types in Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts of the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand. A total of 114 soil samples were collected from different land-use types at three depths (0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm), resulting in 342 samples analyzed for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), Sodium (Na) Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Soil nutrients showed clear variation across different land-uses. Nitrogen ranged between 387.38 to 451.03 kg ha - ¹, P from 17.23 to 135.70 kg ha - ¹, and K between 187.41 to 264.86 kg ha - ¹. Na levels varied from 92.21 to 148.93 kg ha - ¹, while Ca ranged from 752.34 to 1179.73 kg ha - ¹ and Mg from 432.95 to 904.88 kg ha - ¹. The results indicated moderate to locally adequate nutrient availability across land-use systems, with observed variations primarily influenced by management practices and site-specific environmental conditions. It is recommended to manage Himalayan land-use systems to enhance subsistence production, with agricultural and agroforestry systems prioritized. Promoting awareness, organic inputs, and elevation- and depth-specific nutrient management can ensure economic, ecological, and social sustainability of soils and land in the region.