Evaluation of Soil Organic Carbon and Nutrient Status of the High Altitude Pasture, Pamir Shimshal in Hunza, Pakistan

Abstract

This present study was conducted to evaluate soil organic carbon and soil fertility status from high altitude pasture of Shimshal, Hunza Pakistan. Stratified random sampling method was used to collect soil samples from three different zones classified as zone 1 (peat land), zone 2 (vegetative land) and zone3 (barren land). Sixty four (64) surface soil (0 to12cm depth) samples were examined for Soil organic carbon (SOC) and requisite soil fertility parameters such as soil texture, pH, Electrical conductivity dSm-1 (EC), organic matter (OM) and macro nutrients which include available Phosphorus (P), extractable Potassium (K) and micro nutrients, Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe) and Boron (Br) by standard cited procedures. Descriptive statistic was used to analyze the findings. Soil chemical properties revealed that, the soil was sandy loam (70%), silt loam (16%) and silt clay (14%) and moderately alkaline (7.19-8.18) in nature. The EC of the soils was slightly saline (1.48-2.34 dSm-1). Organic matter was medium in 81% samples .The organic carbon content was low to medium (81 % soil samples showed satisfactory and 19% was low).AB-DTPA AP (mgkg-1) was low to satisfactory (83% was satisfactory and 17% was low). AB-DTPA Ex K (mgkg-1) was satisfactory to adequate, 84% was satisfactory, 6 % was low and 9% was adequate. Fe (mgkg-1) was high. Cu (mgkg-1) was low to medium, 36% of the soil samples showed low, 47% medium and 16% adequate. Mn (mgkg-1) was high, where 19% samples have low, 25% have medium and 56% have high level of Mn. Zn (mgkg-1) was low, 62% samples have low, 20% medium and 17% high. While Br was marginal in the soil. That is 34% of the samples fall in safe, 39% were in marginal and 27% were in unsafe class. Hence, it is concluded that high altitude pasture, Pamir of Shimshal valley has capacity to store huge amount of organic carbon with proper grazing management. The fertility status revealed that nutrients are in good amount except zinc.