Comparison of carbon pool in habitats of Zygophyllum atriplicoides Fisch. & C.A.Mey. and Artemisia sieberi Besser. in Luchunasi rangelands (Southeastern Iran)

Abstract

Arid ecosystems have a high capacity for carbon pool since they involve 41% of the world’s land surface. It is important to make reliable estimations of the amount of carbon stored in the soil and plat of rangelands. The present study was conducted to compare the ability of two native plant species, namely Artemisia sieberi Besser. and Zygophyllum atriplicoides Fisch. & C.A.Mey., concerning carbon pool in arid rangelands of Luchunasi, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. The data were collected in 2020 through a randomized complete block design. We measured soil bulk density, organic carbon, pH, EC, and soil carbon pool from three soil layers (0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm), as well as carbon pool of aboveground and belowground biomass. The data were analyzed via analysis of ‎variance and paired T-test. The obtained results indicated that in both habitats, the maximum levels of soil carbon pool, bulk density, and organic carbon were observed in the 0-30-cm soil layer. In Z. atriplicoides habitat, Cp in the depth of 0-30 cm was higher than that in A. sieberi habitat. In both plants, Cp in the belowground biomass was significantly higher than the aboveground parts (P<0.01). Moreover, our study showed that Z. atriplicoides (shrub form) has further potential to store carbon compared with A. sieberi. (bush form). The use of plants with shrub form in biological practices can increase the carbon pool in arid lands, but the efficiency of more plant species needs to be assessed.

Keywords

• steppe rangelands
• soil organic carbon
• global warming
• rangeland management