A Comparative Study of Soil Carbon Storage in Hordeum Cultivation and in Artemisi Sieberi Shrublands

Soil organic carbon storage which is mainly considered as a preliminary indicator of soil quality in natural resources, environment and agriculture studies represent the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has announced that agriculture and earth lands make one-third of global warming and climate change. This is due to inappropriate management and land use change. In this study, some areas are considered in Semnan province with Artemisia sieberi dominant species which conversion of nature to crop lands is common. Then, in order to determine changes in soil carbon storage in Hordeum fields and its adjacent rangelands a control treatment (Artemisia sieberi shrublands) in every site and two Hordeum treatments in Ivanakey and one treatment in Sorkhe were selected. Soil sampling of treatments was selected in depth of 0-50 cm and with the number of three profiles and five profiles in control areas. The average of carbon storage per hectare of Hordeum lands in Ivanakey was 40.3 and 30.9 ton which make 15.2 and 11.6 % of carbon storage of region. Hordeum cultivation in Artemisia sieberi shrub lands leading to increase 120.5 and 69 % content of carbon storage in Sorkhe region were 35 ton that consist of 13.6 % of total area of region and make decrease 55.2 % of carbon. The average of carbon storage in Ivanakey and Sorkhe were 16.07 and 40.2 ton /ha respectively. Results of independent t-student test imply that there is not a significant difference between carbon storage in two land use (rangeland and Hordeum field) as well as areas separately, Ivanakey. There is significant difference at the level of %5 but there is no significant difference in Sorkhe.