Soil microbial and enzyme activities in different land use systems of the Northwestern Himalayas
Yasir Hanif Mir,
Mumtaz Ahmad Ganie,
Tajamul Islam Shah,
Shabir Ahmed Bangroo,
Shakeel Ahmad Mir,
Aanisa Manzoor Shah,
Fehim Jeelani Wani,
Anzhen Qin,
Shafeeq Ur Rahman
Affiliations
Yasir Hanif Mir
Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Mumtaz Ahmad Ganie
Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Tajamul Islam Shah
Division of Soil Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Shabir Ahmed Bangroo
Division of Soil Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Shakeel Ahmad Mir
Division of Soil Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Aanisa Manzoor Shah
Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Fehim Jeelani Wani
Division of Agricultural Economics and Statistics, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Anzhen Qin
Institute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Crop Water Use and Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinxiang, China
Shafeeq Ur Rahman
School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
Soil microbial activity (SMA) is vital concerning carbon cycling, and its functioning is recognized as the primary factor in modifying soil carbon storage potential. The composition of the microbial community (MC) is significant in sustaining environmental services because the structure and activity of MC also influence nutrient turnover, distribution, and the breakdown rate of soil organic matter. SMA is an essential predictor of soil quality alterations, and microbiome responsiveness is imperative in addressing the escalating sustainability concerns in the Himalayan ecosystem. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of soil microbial and enzyme activities to land conversions in the Northwestern Himalayas (NWH), India. Soil samples were collected from five land use systems (LUSs), including forest, pasture, apple, saffron, and paddy-oilseed, up to a depth of 90 cm. The results revealed a significant difference (p pasture > apple > saffron > paddy-oilseed at all three depths. Paddy-oilseed soils exhibited up to 35% lower enzyme activities than forest soils, implying that land conversion facilitates the depletion of microbiome diversity from surface soils. Additionally, reductions of 49.80% and 62.91% were observed in enzyme activity and microbial counts, respectively, with soil depth (from 0–30 to 60–90 cm). Moreover, the relationship analysis (principal component analysis and correlation) revealed a high and significant (p = 0.05) association between soil microbial and enzyme activities and physicochemical attributes. These results suggest that land conversions need to be restricted to prevent microbiome depletion, reduce the deterioration of natural resources, and ensure the sustainability of soil health.
