Investigating the Effect of Biological Recovery Operations on Soil Organic Carbon Storage (Case Study: Hossein Abad Basin - South Khorasan Province)

The implementation of biological recovery operations has an effective role in flood control, nutrition of groundwater, regeneration and strengthening of vegetation and desertification control especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Hence, efficient management tools such as mechanical and regenerative operations can provide suitable conditions for organic carbon sequestration in natural ecosystems. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim of evaluating and quantitatively determining the carbon sequestration of soil in remediation operations of seed, cultivation, construction of crested forage and seedlings in Hussein Abad watershed. In order to soil sampling in the region of each rehabilitation activity, three transects of 200 meters were spaced 30 meters apart from each other in a random-systematic way. Of the 10 plots deployed along each transect, ten plots were randomly selected in each one, a profile was drilled under the canopy of the sample and digested at a depth of 30-15 cm. The results of statistical analysis of the data showed that carbon sequestration has increased significantly as a result of corrective action. The total amount of carbon sequestrated in Hossein Abad watershed with an area of 3153 hectares, 63834.3 tons of organic carbon, is equal to the average of 20.24 tons per hectare. Also, the amount of carbon content of vegetation cover in planting treatment was the highest compared to control and was able to average 23.4 tone carbon per hectare. Seeding and seeding operations with the least amount of carbon sequestration ability were able to sequester 17 tons of organic carbon per hectare. In general, it can be said that the plant vegetative correction, especially planting, as an action to protect the natural ecosystem of Hussein Abad watershed, has high capability in soil carbon sequestration.