Evaluation of watershed management interventions on biomass carbon sequestration and stakeholders’ perception about watershed condition improvement (case study: Dehchenashk sub-watershed- Chehl Chai watershed)

In the present study, the effect of management measures on carbon sequestration in areas under management measures and types of land use has been studied.

The crop lands and orchards as controls and terracing and tree saplings activities as the treatment measures were compared in terms of carbon sequestration. Also the effect of management measures on improving land cover and reducing soil erosion from viewpoints of the local stakeholders was carried out using the questionnaire survey.

The results showed that the average of biomass carbon sequestration (ton/ha) in both treatment and control sub- watersheds in dense forest (5.10 and 4.91), low-density (4.98 and 4.80) and degraded forests (4.27, 95 and 95) is more than walnut (3.08 and 2.85) and apple (2.21 and 2.00) orchards, and croplands cultivated with alfalfa (1.55 and 1.50), wheat (1.40 and 1.32), lentil (1.38 and 1.30) and barley (1.26 and 1.19), respectively. Regarding biological practices carried out in the treatment sub- watershed, the average carbon sequestration in walnut orchards (2.72) was higher than pear (1.88) and cherry (1.66) orchards and terraced lands cultivated with alfalfa (1.65), wheat (1.50) and lentil (1.40). Also statistical comparison using t-test between high density, low- density and degraded forests and apple orchards and barley croplands showed no statistically significant difference at 5% level.

Moreover, the local stakeholders believe that the implemented watershed management practices has played a significant role in improving the sub-watershed condition in terms of land cover, soil stabilization and soil erosion reduction.