The study of soil carbon storage in Lavizan Forest Park, Tehran

This study was performed in six plantations including Pinus eldarica and Cupressus arizonica (pure coniferous), Robinia pseudoacacia and Fraxinus sp. (pure broadleaved) along with R. pseudoacacia-Fraxinus and R. pseudoacacia-C. arizonica (mixed) in Lavizan Forest Park. Soil carbon stock was measured and the relationship between some physico-chemical properties of soil with organic carbon was examined. Soil acidity, texture, bulk density, particle density and percentage organic carbon were measured in 60 soil samples collected from 0-10 cm and 10-30 cm depths under the plantations. According to the results, the maximum and minimum soil carbon stocks in both depths were seen in Pinus eldarica and Fraxinus types, respectively. In all plantations under consideration, carbon storage was greater at lower, i.e. 10-30 cm, soil depth. In both studied soil depths, the highest carbon storage in pure coniferous and hardwood types was respectively observed in P. eldarica and R. pseudoacacia plantations and among mixed types in R. pseudoacacia-C. arizonica type. Also, stepwise regression showed that of physic-chemical soil properties, pH, bulk density and clay and of  quantitative characteristics of trees, DBH, hight and crown diameter were the most important factors affecting soil organic carbon in the study area.