Organic Carbon in Soil and Biomass of an Alnus nepalensis Forest in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

Abstract This article reports the results of measuring organic carbon contents in biomass and soil of an Alnus nepalensis forest in Kath mandu. The aboveground and belowground biomass of A. nepalensis were 62.21 t/ha and 12.44 t/ha respectively in the forest. The aboveground and belowground carbon stock in the forest were 29.24 t/ha and 5.85 t/ha respectively. Average organic carbon stock in soil depths 0-10 cm and 10-20 c m were found 19.78 t/ha and 10.61 t/ha respectively. The mean o rganic soil carbon stock in 0-20 cm soil depth was found 15.20 t/ha and in liv ing bio mass was found 35.09 t/ha. The organic carbon stock in 0-10cm soil depth was found 1.86 times more than in soil depth of 10-20 cm. Carbon stored in living vegetation biomass is 2.31 times more than soil organic carbon in the forest upto 20cm soil depth. Soil bulk density in 0-10 cm and 10-20cm soil depths were found 0.69 g/cm 3 and 1.14 g/cm 3 respectively