Effects of Forestland Change on Physico-chemical Properties, SOC Storage and Soil Respiration in Kelardasht Area

An important part of carbon cycling is carried out in the soil making land use changes, including changes in forestlands, affect SOC storage and consequently CO2 flux into the atmosphere.The aims followed in this investigation were to study the impacts of conversion of deciduous forests to coniferous ones and deforested land to rangelands, on some of the soil physicochemical properties, organic carbon (OC) storage, and soil respiration in two sites 1 and 2 (two different sets of properties), in south of Kelardasht area. Soil pH and EC are not substantially affected by land use change, but bulk densities have been on the increase through deforestation and have decreased at reforestation. By reforestation, SOC storage increased about 17.6 and 49.5 %(P<0.05) in sites 1 and 2. However, deforestation has caused SOC storage to diminish about 14.5 (P<0.05) and 4.7 %(P>0.05). CO2 emission indicated significant and positive correlation with the mean air temperature in all sources of land use. In General, the coniferous forests proved to be more efficient in organic carbon storage, and therefore could be benefited from in the reduction of soil CO2 emission.