Fruit tree-based agroforestry as a nature-based solution for carbon sequestration in the vulnerable Eastern Himalayan ecosystem: plant–soil microbe feedbacks in the context of global change
Comparative field study reveals enhanced carbon sequestration and microbial biomass in fruit tree agroforestry, highlighting its value as a climate-smart solution.
Key Points
To assess the capacity of fruit tree–based agroforestry systems to enhance carbon storage, soil health, and plant–soil–microbe interactions relative to conventional cropland.
Evaluated six 20-year-old fruit tree-based agroforestry systems (guava, peach, Assam lemon, pear, plum, Khasi mandarin) against adjacent cropland in the Eastern Himalayan region of India.
Sampled 126 composite soil profiles across six depth increments (0–1.0 m) to quantify carbon fractions, microbial biomass carbon, total nitrogen, and total carbon stocks alongside allometric biomass measurements.
Agroforestry soils exhibited significantly higher total carbon (+5% to 28%), total organic carbon (+2% to 29%), soil microbial biomass carbon (+13.5% to 35%), and total nitrogen (+16% to 38%) compared to cropland (p < 0.05).
Very labile carbon fractions were 8.5% to 33.7% greater under agroforestry, with peach systems sustaining the highest microbial biomass carbon (551.1 μg g⁻¹).
Total carbon stocks across 0–1.0 m depth peaked in Khasi mandarin (279.0 Mg ha⁻¹) and peach systems (274.3 Mg ha⁻¹), supported by aboveground biomass ranging from 22.68 to 31.98 Mg ha⁻¹.