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Globally, the increasing fire events in addition to climate change due to the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as other greenhouse gases exerts huge pressure on natural resources and their management. This phenomenon is more severe in the tropical region due to increasing population, urbanization, industrialization, existing pressures, and limiting conditions. In the present study, carbon (C) stock, carbon sequestration (Cseq), CO2 mitigation potential, C budget, and C flux of the seasonally dry forest ecosystem of Chhattisgarh under the influence of wildfire in the protected area and its proximity were evaluated. Four sites namely, high fire zone (HFZ), medium fire zone (MFZ), low fire zone (LFZ), and non‐fire zone (NFZ) were selected and marked based on fire return intervals (frequency) and extent of damage. The present work is a novel approach that assesses the impact of different fire frequencies on C dynamics of fire‐affected zones. The stratified sampling technique was used within a permanent plot of 1 hectare. Forest stands on each site were analyzed using 10 randomly placed quadrats (each 10 × 10 m in size) and data were collected from each site. Across the sites higher tree density was observed at NFZ and the lowest at HFZ.Total tree biomass ranged between 116.0 and 358.4 t ha−1 across the fire regimes. Total vegetation C stock ranged between 59.1 and 169.5 t ha−1 in different sites. The C mitigation and Cseq potential ranged between 186.2 and 575.3 t ha−1, and 7.1 and 15.9 t ha−1, respectively being highest in NFZ and lowest in HFZ. The species such as Anogeissus latifolia, Buchanania lanzan, Shorea robusta, Lannea coromandelica, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Ougeinia oojeinensis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia tomentosa are the major contributor in biomass, C stock, C mitigation, and Cseq potential in different fire regimes. Thus, our findings would be highly useful in the restoration process of fire‐affected zones through the plantation of selective plant species. Therefore, the aforementioned species could be effectively utilized while going for an afforestation/reforestation program, and will be helpful in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies under different fire zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of trees into diverse land-use systems holds potential for India to meet nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets under the Paris Climate Agreement. With a target of sequestering 2.5–3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030, the study focused on the widespread and economically viable eucalyptus-based agroforestry, practiced widely in various planting geometries tailored to meet industrial end-use requirements. In this context, a detailed study was conducted to quantify the influence of five planting geometries [3 m × 3 m, 6 × 1.5 m, 17 × 1 × 1 m (paired row) and two boundary plantations (east–west and north–south directions) at 2 m away from tree to tree] of eucalyptus on intercrops [dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata)—barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) rotation] biomass, soil properties, and carbon stock of the system during 2009–2016. Results revealed that biomass accumulation of different tree components was 62.50%–74.09% in stem; 6.59%–9.14% in branch; 3.18%–5.73% in leaves; 12.20%–20.44% in stump roots; and 1.71%–3.48% in fine roots across the planting geometries. The mean carbon content of the stem, branch, leaves, and roots was 49.00, 47.00, 43.00, and 49.00%, respectively. Over the 8-year period, geometry of 3 × 3 m performed better in terms of total biomass production (344.60 Mg ha− 1 by tree biomass and 62.53 Mg ha−1 by intercrops). The independent parameter, DBH²H (DBH: diameter at breast height and H: tree height), was found to be a very good predictor of dry weight, followed by DBH alone. Among various functions (linear, allometric, logistic, Gompertz, Chapman, and exponential), the best-fit equation was allometric, i.e., B = 300.96 × DBH²H0.93 (adjusted R² = 0.96) for eucalyptus based on universal model adequacy and validation criteria. The carbon sequestration rate was maximum (20.79 Mg C ha−1 year−1) in 3 × 3 m followed by 17 × 1 × 1 m. The total carbon stock of eucalyptus-based system (tree + crop + soil) varied significantly under different planting geometries and sole crop rotation (dhaincha–barley). The higher carbon stock (237.27 Mg ha−1) was obtained from 3 × 3 m spacing and further partitioning carbon stock in trees—166.29 Mg ha−1, crops—25.01 Mg ha−1 and soil—45.97 Mg ha−1. The paired row spacing (17 × 1 × 1 m) yielded higher crop yield and net returns (Rs. 600,475 ha−1), underscoring wide spacing’s role in system productivity and sustainability. Tree-based systems were valuable components of agriculture, advocating for their widespread adoption to reduce CO2 emissions and generate income through carbon credits. These findings will provide crucial insights into sustainable land-use practices and advance India’s commitment toward adaptation of climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are responsible for emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global warming and climate change. As the world's second-largest producer of staple food and the third-largest emitter of GHGs, India has been witnessing an increase in demand for food and energy, resulting in increased emissions. Thus, to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2070, India must focus urgently on climate change mitigation. Its agriculture sector has the potential to transition from being a net emitter to a net absorber of GHGs by adopting sustainable farming practices such as zero tillage, laser-assisted precision land leveling, direct seeding of rice, intercropping, biochar application, use of solar energy, and more efficient management of irrigation water, soil nutrients, livestock feed, and manure. To incentivize climate consciousness, a voluntary carbon credit trading system could be utilized in agriculture, supported by a measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification platform. This system would also bring about social, environmental, and financial co-benefits for its stakeholders. Specifically, the agriculture sector could substantially reduce the country's annual emissions by 84% from 2019 to 2070. But to realize their potential, the carbon markets must overcome the limitations currently set by policy, economic, cultural, and biophysical factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and identification of the factors influencing its spatial variation are crucial for adopting appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies under changing climatic conditions. The present study aims to measure SOC content and stock and identify the factors contributing to SOC variation in India's sub-tropical, dry sub-humid Eastern Plateau Region (EPR). It also aims to recognize the potential land uses for enhancing the C stock in the region. Soil samples were collected from two soil depth layers—0 to 10 cm and 10 to 20 cm, from locations under different soil type, land use, and topographic conditions. The Walkley-Black method was used to determine the SOC content of the samples. Ordinary kriging based on an exponential semi-variogram model was employed to analyze the spatial variability of SOC concentration and its relationship with the sampling strata. The study shows that the topsoil variation in SOC depended mainly on the land use type and the corresponding soil properties viz. pH and texture. Cultivated areas, especially those of the lowland, recorded higher SOC than other land use classes. The findings of the present study are useful for defining agricultural management practices and carbon sequestration strategies for the region in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, which mainly is attributed to fossil-fuel combustion and deforestation, is often suggested as one of the prime causative factors toward accelerated global warming. This commends for sequestration of atmospheric carbon under terrestrial systems to partially offset fossil-fuel emissions. Concerning the same, agricultural sector presents an extensive opportunity, especially for countries such as India where over 55% of the population is engaged in the agriculture sector. Methods: Sequestering atmospheric carbon in agriculture requires the adoption of climate-resilient alternative agriculture practices without compromising food security. The deliberated study highlights the options of alteration in current conventional farming practices and its economic evaluation for sequestrating carbon under two Climate Change (CC) scenarios, viz., RCP 4.5 and 8.5, over three temporal scales, i.e., 2020, 2030, and 2050. Considering the current landuse pattern and existing growth rate in land-use shifting, three land-use policies, namely, Business as Usual (BaU), Optimistic, and Pessimistic scenario, integrated with CC scenarios were contemplated. Six possible futuristic scenarios were generated for the assessment of carbon sequestration and its valuation following the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoff (InVEST) model. Results: The results suggested that across the studied region adopting an optimistic policy over BaU and pessimistic scenario, carbon can sequestrate an additional 0.64 to 1.46 Mt. (2.35 to 5.36 million ton CO2e) having an economic value of 193.4 to 504.8 million USD. Results: Moreover, the outcomes of the study are advocated for the policy of carbon credit in the agriculture sector, which shall contribute toward meeting various nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has been recently proposed as a management strategy to improve crop productivity and global warming mitigation. Biochar may be added to soils with the goal to improve the soil properties and relocate an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers and sequester carbon. Biochar production and incorporation in soil must play a role in climate change mitigation. The need for further clarity on optimizing biochar application to various crop yields is necessary if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a soil amendment. There is urgent need to intensify agricultural production to secure food supply for the ever increasing population especially in developing country like India of the tropics. Biochar proponents have placed on biochar stability in soil and it also includes increased soil fertility and water holding capacity, increased crop production and remediation of contaminated soils. The biochar have potential to feasibly and sustainably sequester/offset over 1 Pg of CO2-carbon equivalents annually. Current carbon market incentives are not sufficient to rapidly increase or maximize the initiation and development of biochar implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration of fly ash-degraded soils is a major concern for developing countries like India. So far, various physicochemical techniques have been employed to restore these polluted lands, but the limitations of cost, inefficiency, and secondary pollutant generation have forced ecologists to look for alternative approaches. Phytoremediation has been widely employed to replace these techniques, and to produce an economic asset along with the restoration of fly ash-degraded land, through bamboo species which serve as a parallel factor increasing the overall efficiency of bio methods, becomes very interesting. Four bamboo species, Bambusa balcooa, B. vulgaris 'wamin', B. bambos, and B. vulgaris, were planted at abandoned fly ash dumpsite. After two years of plantation, there was a significant improvement in all the physicochemical characteristics of the fly ash dumpsite. Phytoremediation indices in terms of bioconcentration factor (BCF) (1.26 and 1.72) and translocation factor (TF) (1.98 and 1.25) presented that B. bambos is the ideal species for the phytoextraction of Cr and Zn, while B. balcooa is an ideal species for the phytostabilization of lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and zinc (Zn), B. vulgaris 'wamin' for the phytostabilization of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), Zn, and As and B. vulgaris for phytostabilization of Cu, chromium (Cr), and Ni, respectively. There was a significant improvement in biomass production in all the bamboo species being highest in B. balcooa (1087 kg ha−1) after two years of establishment on the fly ash dumpsite. Further, B. balcooa was found as the ideal bamboo species for sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) (8217 tonnes C ha−1 year−1). This work further suggests that B. balcooa is an excellent species for eco-restoration with a reliable air pollution tolerance index (APTI) (16.65). Principal component analysis demonstrated that B. bambos is the most potent bamboo species for phytoremediation of fly ash dumpsites owing to its high biomass capacity, positively correlated with hyperaccumulation of heavy metals. However, the fate of heavy metals after litter decomposition needs to be examined in detail to make this study a widespread approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agroforestry system is the best option to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target for India. Keeping this view, carbon sequestration and credit potential of gamhar based agroforestry system has been assessed. The experiment was carried out in randomized block design in seven different treatments with five replications. Gamhar tree biomass accumulation was higher in gamhar based agroforestry system compared to sole gamhar. Among different tree components, stem contributed a maximum to total gamhar tree biomass followed by roots, leaves and branches. The average contributions of stems, roots, leaves and branches in total tree biomass in two annual cycles (2016–17 and 2017–18) varied between 50 and 60, 19.8 and 20, 19.2 and 20, and 10.7 and 12.7 percent, respectively. In case of crops, above ground, below ground and total biomass was significantly higher in sole intercrops than gamhar based agroforestry system. Total (Tree + interrops + Soil) carbon stock, carbon sequestration, carbon credit and carbon price were significantly affected by treatments, and was maximum in Sole Greengram-Mustard. Net carbon emission was also recorded lowest in Sole Greengram-Mustard for which the values were 811.55% and 725.24% and 760.69% lower than Sole Gamhar in 2016–17, 2017–18 and in pooled data, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foraminifera and tintinnids are essential indicators of the health status of marine and estuarine ecosystems, both past and present, and can be used for monitoring purposes in the future. Tintinnids are known to group among ciliates possessing hard loricate to be considered by hydrogeologists as one of the bio‐indicator species, exhibiting a strong positive correlation with phytoplankton. Pulicat Lake is a marginal marine environment present near the south coast of India. Intertidal sediment samples were collected from September 2013 to August 2014 and were subjected to isolate the foraminiferans and tintinnids by adopting standard methods. In all, twenty‐one genera and 24 species of foraminifera have been identified from the stream, where Quinquelina seminulum was found to be abundant. Contrary to this, a minimum number of species was present in the freshwater inflow zone, mainly Amomalinula glabrata, Haplophragmoides kirki, Natlandia secasensi and Valvulineria candeiana. Tintinnopsis are recorded in the sampling sites, belonging to 5 families and 6 genera, and 12 species have been identified, and among these Favella campanula species was found to be abundant in the study area. From our results, the recorded species in terms of numerical abundance of foraminiferans appeared predominant over the tintinnids. The dominant role of foraminiferans may be a significant contribution to the carbon cycle of marine/estuarine ecosystems proved elsewhere in turn responsible for the substantial uptake of phytodetritus deposition. Based on these findings, our preliminary study may be useful to explore the carbon sequestration process in the Pulicat Lake ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf litter constitutes a major fraction in total litter production in mangrove forests. Its contribution to NPP of mangrove forests and carbon sequestration is less studied. These aspects were investigated for Kunhimangalam mangrove forest in Kerala, India. We quantified the leaf litter production and estimated the decomposition rates of leaf litter from Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia officinalis, Excoecaria agallocha and Rhizophora mucronata. These four species together constituted 92.49% of abundance in Kunhimangalam. The average annual leaf litter production was 8.83 ± 0.95 t ha−1yr−1, 78% of the total litter produced. Leaf litter production was negatively correlated with soil pH (R2 = 0.531) and rainfall (R2 = 0.561). Temperature, salinity and humidity did not show any remarkable influence. The rate of decomposition varied significantly among these species (F = 2497.79, p < 0.01) but as for the mixed leaf litter category (a mixture of leaves from the above four species in equal weight), the rate of decomposition was the highest. The pattern of leaf litter decomposition observed in mixed, R. mucronata and E. agallocha categories best fitted to the exponential decay model indicating an initial phase of faster decomposition followed by a terminal slow phase. The leaf litter of A. corniculatum and A. officinalis categories fitted best to the linear regression model showing a steady pace throughout the period of decomposition. Leaf litter of these four species together contributed 3.56 ± 0.01 t C ha−1 y−1 to NPP. Higher production of leaf litter in Kunhimangalam showed higher potential for carbon sequestration. However, only less than 1% (0.62%) of the leaf litter was decomposed when macrobenthos were excluded from the system. The destiny of the rest 99% appeared critical as this determined the capacity of Kunhimangalam mangrove forest to act as a source or sink for carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands provide numerous ecological and economic services to mankind. The soils of wetlands are one of the largest sinks of carbon (C) among the terrestrial ecosystems and can play an important role in offsetting the emission of C as a greenhouse gas (GHG) to the atmosphere. India is bestowed with enriched wetland ecosystems that support diverse and unique habitats. The potential of the wetlands in terms of C capture and sequestration has not been quantified. Therefore, in the present paper, an assessment of C capture from different sources and its ultimate deposition in soils leading to sequestration has been done in three different types of wetlands, one created sewage-fed and two natural floodplain oxbow lakes, in the West Bengal state of India. Multiple seasonal sampling of water, macrophytes, and soil was done to assess the primary productivity, dissolved C, and deposition of C in soils of the wetlands in comparison to reference upland sites. All these wetlands are productive ecosystems as indicated by the physicochemical parameters of water and soil. The quantity of C accumulated up to 0.3 m depth in the oxbow lakes was to the tune of 144–166 Mg/ha, which was 3.43–4.78 times higher than that in the corresponding reference upland sites. In the sewage-fed wetland, the C accumulation estimated as 50 Mg/ha was 1.27 times higher than its corresponding upland site. So, the wetland ecosystems, particularly the floodplains, are highly efficient in accumulating C in their soils and thus can somewhat negate the GHG emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productivity of agricultural soils, particularly in India's rainfed tropics, has rigorously fallen because of increased losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) during the last decades; consequently, sustaining crop productivity through the maintenance of SOC level is difficult for dryland farmers. Moreover, systematic research on carbon (C) sequestration, SOC pools, their sensitivity to management change and critical C input level for zero change in SOC, especially under cotton-greengram intercropping in Vertisols of semi-arid climates, is limited. Therefore, we studied cotton-greengram intercropping after 35 years (1987-2022) under continuous application of organics (farmyard manure/gliricidia), chemical fertilizers and substitution of 50% or 100% fertilizer nitrogen (N) through farmyard manure/gliricidia (integrated nutrient management) (INM). The INM treatments recorded significantly higher cotton-greengram system productivity and sustainable yield index. Continuous cropping without an external nutrient source decreased the soil C, while cropping with INM resulted in a positive build-up of C in both labile and stable pools. On average, about 62% of total organic carbon was stabilized in the passive pool (CLL, Less Labile C + CRC, Recalcitrant C) of SOC. The increment in SOC stock was linearly (y = 0.0767x -0.2248; R2 = 0.87, p < .001) related to the system productivity. The very labile C, potassium permanganate oxidizable C and microbial biomass C fractions were the most sensitive to nutrient management. A threshold C input of 0.71 Mg C ha-1 year-1 is required to maintain antecedent SOC, which is readily supplied to the soil using the region's current cotton-greengram intercropping system. Thus, this cropping system is quite capable to maintain antecedent SOC. We conclude that, in the context of changing climates, promoting cotton-legume intercropping using locally available farmyard manure/gliricidia as a substitute for 50%--Fertilizer N is a viable strategy for enhancing SOC storage while achieving sustainable productivity in semi-arid Vertisols of Central India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Tea, derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, holds the position of being the most widely consumed manufactured beverage globally. Its cultivation necessitates specific agro-climatic conditions, leading to its production being confined to select regions, notably including India. India contributes about 20.81% to the world's tea output. The production and processing of tea leaves to final product consume energy in terms of machinery, fertilizer, irrigation etc. The energy consumption involved in tea production is a pressing concern, given the associated high costs and CO2 emissions resulting from fossil fuel usage. To achieve a net-zero carbon balance, there is need to pay attention towards promoting renewable energy technologies as a means to mitigate the CO2 emissions stemming from fossil fuels in India's tea sector. Objectives: Aligned with the objective of sustainability through the integration of renewable energy sources, a pilot study was conducted in the primary teagrowing regions of northeastern India during 2021-22. The primary aims of this study were twofold: to gauge the quantity of CO2 emissions originating from conventional energy sources and to explore the feasibility of incorporating renewable energy sources as viable substitutes. Data and methods: Data on various inputs used in tea production were collected from Assam and West Bengal states of India by using a stratified random sampling method with equal probability and without replacement. Results: The findings of this investigation underscore a noteworthy potential for the adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, within the tea estates situated in the north eastern region of India. Such a transition would yield benefits for both the tea estates themselves and the overall environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming necessitates urgent action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Biochar, a type of carbonized biomass which can be produced from crop residues (CRs), offers a promising solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) when it is used to sequester photosynthetically fixed carbon that would otherwise have been returned to atmospheric CO2 through respiration or combustion. However, high‐resolution spatially explicit maps of CR resources and their capacity for climate change mitigation through biochar production are currently lacking, with previous global studies relying on coarse (mostly country scale) aggregated statistics. By developing a comprehensive high spatial resolution global dataset of CR production, we show that, globally, CRs generate around 2.4 Pg C annually. If 100% of these residues were utilized, the maximum theoretical technical potential for biochar production from CRs amounts to 1.0 Pg C year−1 (3.7 Pg CO2e year−1). The permanence of biochar differs across regions, with the fraction of initial carbon that remains after 100 years ranging from 60% in warm climates to nearly 100% in cryosols. Assuming that biochar is sequestered in soils close to point of production, approximately 0.72 Pg C year−1 (2.6 Pg CO2e year−1) of the technical potential would remain sequestered after 100 years. However, when considering limitations on sustainable residue harvesting and competing livestock usage, the global biochar production potential decreases to 0.51 Pg C year−1 (1.9 Pg CO2e year−1), with 0.36 Pg C year−1 (1.3 Pg CO2e year−1) remaining sequestered after a century. Twelve countries have the technical potential to sequester over one fifth of their current emissions as biochar from CRs, with Bhutan (68%) and India (53%) having the largest ratios. The high‐resolution maps of CR production and biochar sequestration potential provided here will provide valuable insights and support decision‐making related to biochar production and investment in biochar production capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper understanding of soil parameters under different production systems of the world is necessary for efficient soil management. We, therefore, carried out the present study to assess the status of some selected soil properties (soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC)), phyto-available nutrients (available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK), exchangeable calcium (Ex. Ca), exchangeable magnesium (Ex. Mg), available sulfur (AS), and soil organic carbon (SOC) pools (SOC, total organic carbon (TOC), very labile C, labile C, less labile C, and non-labile C) and to establish relationships among the measured soil parameters at different depths of Vertisols of India under various land uses. A total of 150 composite soil samples (from 25 plots including nine from agricultural land, nine from horticultural land, three from forest land, and four from grassland) were collected from 6 soil depths viz, 0–10, 10–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm under agriculture, horticulture, forest, and grassland land uses present in Central India and analyzed. The values of soil pH, EC, AN, AK, Ex. Ca, Ex. Mg, and AS in various soil depths under different land uses varied widely. The values of SOC (0.19 to 1.00%), TOC (0.58 to 2.42%), very labile C (0.14 to 0.83%), labile C (0.05 to 0.25%), less labile C (0.05 to 0.26%) and non-labile C (0.23 to 1.42%) in various soil depths under different land uses also varied significantly. Forest and grassland land uses had higher levels of SOC, TOC, very labile, and non-labile C content in all the soil depths in comparison to SOC, TOC, very labile, and non-labile C content in different soil depths under agriculture and horticulture land use. The levels of SOC, TOC, very labile, and non-labile C content under all the land uses decreased with increasing soil depths. SOC was positively and significantly correlated with AN, AK, AS, and estimated SOC pools in surface soil layers. Principal component analysis (PCA) of soil parameters in different soil depths resulted in 5 principal components (PCs) with > 1 eigenvalue and accounting for > 75% variability. This information could be used for managing SOC status and phyto-available nutrients in Vertisols under different land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement industry is undeniably critical for the global economy. However, they are also the largest energy consumers in the world. The clinker manufacturing process causes gaseous emissions like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter. There is scope for various technologies to be used in the cement manufacturing process for reducing emissions and energy consumption. This paper presents an analysis of various emission reduction approaches using alternative techniques/raw materials, energy saving (thermal and electrical) methods, process optimization/modifications, carbon capture and storage. However, financial and technical challenges remain significant barriers against sustainability initiatives in the clinker manufacturing process. Practical and feasible methods were applied to reduce nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and particulate matter emissions during the clinker manufacturing process. This study also shows the application of pinch technology for more economical energy usage. This study was conducted in the premises of Emami Cement Limited, Balodabazar (Chhattisgarh State), India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, solid waste is deposited mostly in uncontrolled open landfills without proper segregation and handling methods. Organic wastes dumped in a landfill undergo anaerobic decomposition and emit landfill gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Landfill gases are a significant contributor to greenhouse gases and greatly impact climate change. In the interim, reducing gas emissions and controlling and recycling such gasses is important from environmental hygienic, and global perspectives. Landfill gas has tremendous potential to convert as a source of alternative fuel. The present study estimates the CH4 (Methane) and CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions and quantifies the renewable energy available and hydrogen production potential using the LandGEM 3.02 empirical models for the Kanuru, Vijayawada landfill. It was observed that methane emission peaked in 2042 with an emission rate according to the model was 2.51E+08 Metric tons CO2 equivalents. The gas-recovery system is an essential component in landfills for extracting energy with 75-80% efficiency; the generation rate of greenhouse gases will reduce to around 1.78E06 Mg of CO2 eq. The predicted methane emissions vary from 1.33E6-9.22E6 cu.m per year for the period of 2010- 2042. It was also estimated that annual energy production from LFG emissions was from 1.8-130 GWh per year, and hydrogen production potential was 0.6-43.3 Gg per year. The study concludes that projected scientific data will assist policymakers in creating sustainable MSW management by bridging the gap between sustainable renewable energy production and protecting the environment. The basic objectives of the study include the quantification of landfill gas production using the LandGEM model for Vijayawada, assessing the electricity generation potential of the landfill methane gas emitted, methane and carbon dioxide recovery from landfills with energy conversion could reduce GHG emissions, and estimation of hydrogen generation potential from the landfill methane emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil carbon pools have a significant impact on the global carbon cycle and soil erosion caused by natural or human activities is one of the main drivers of changes in soil carbon sequestration. The present study aimed to estimate the carbon loss associated with soil loss in the watershed using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The study was carried out at the Central MPKV Campus Watershed, Rahuri, located in the rain shadow region of the Maharashtra state, India. The soil loss from the watershed was estimated using USLE model. The soil loss and carbon loss from the watershed were estimated before the implementation of conservation measures and after the implementation of conservation measures. It was found that the average annual soil loss from the watershed before and after conservation measures was 18.68 t/ha/yr and 9.41 t/ha/yr, respectively. Carbon loss was determined by soil loss rate, organic carbon content and the carbon enrichment ratio. The carbon loss from the watershed before and after conservation measures was 348.71 kgC/ha/yr and 205.52 kgC/ha/yr. The findings revealed that soil and carbon erosion was very severe on steep slopes without conservation measures and with limited vegetation cover. It was found that by reducing the carbon loss associated with soil loss, soil conservation measures not only aid in the conservation of natural resources but also serve as a climate change mitigation measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystems play a central role in the global carbon cycle and climate mitigation due to their offering of a large carbon sink. More than one‐fifth of the geographical area of India, one of the largest nations on the Earth, is forested, which is highly diverse in vegetation and climate types, offers huge potential for carbon sequestration, but remains vulnerable to climate change. Hence, it is imperative to know the future changes in the terrestrial carbon budget over this region. Gross primary productivity (GPP) represents the carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. The multimodel ensembles of GPP simulated by the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) provide a useful means in this regard. In this work, we study the strength and variability of GPP over India in the near‐past and future using these simulations. In future, all the models show an increasing trend in GPP, however, with widely varying trends. The preferred month of carbon uptake differs among the models. A comparison with a satellite biophysical record shows the models underestimated the GPP during the near‐past over India. The carbon uptake in the Eastern Himalaya dominates the Western Himalaya and central Indian regions. Specifically, till 2100, the growth rate of GPP varies from 4.9 to 16.69 gC m−2 y−2, from 2.47 to 18.91 gC m−2 y−2, and from 0.32 to 21.95 gC m−2 y−2 over these three regions, respectively. Plain Language Summary: Climate change is an imminent problem driven by greenhouse gases, with adverse impacts on the Earth system. Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas. Plants offer a natural strategy to mitigate climate change by their photosynthetic carbon uptake. For climate change impact assessment, projections of climate models are widely used, developed from our understanding of the Earth system, as measured by the observations. India is a large and populous country that remains highly vulnerable to climate change; it also plays a key role in global climate change and its mitigation. However, to devise a suitable mitigation strategy the future carbon sequestration by the natural ecosystems in this region needs to be quantified. The World Climate Research Program developed the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, a multi‐model ensemble study providing future projections of climate variables under different climate change scenarios. In this work, we use these ensembles to study the future photosynthetic carbon uptake over India and its three key forested regions. We find the photosynthetic carbon uptake to increase manifold over India, with significant inter‐model uncertainties. We also find the Eastern Himalaya to have stronger biospheric carbon removal from the atmosphere than the Western Himalaya and Central Indian regions. Key Points: Photosynthetic carbon uptake increases over India in future with the annual growth rate varying from 3 to 15 gC m−2 y−2The photosynthetic carbon uptake is larger in Eastern Himalaya compared to Western Himalaya and Central IndiaThere is a large discord on the strength, trend and variability of Gross primary productivity over India among CMIP6 models and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating the atmospheric greenhouse effect while enhancing the inherent soil quality and productive capacity is possible through soil carbon (C) sequestration, which has a significant potential to counteract the adverse effects of agroecosystem level C emission through natural and anthropogenic means. Although rice is the most important food in India, feeding more than 60% of the country's population, it is commonly blamed for significant methane (CH4) emissions that accelerate climate change. Higher initial soil organic matter concentrations would create more CH4 under the flooded soil conditions, as reducible soil C is a prerequisite for CH4 generation. In India, rice is generally cultivated in lowlands under continuous flooding. Less extensive organic matter breakdown in lowland rice agroecosystems often significantly impacts the dynamics of soil active and passive C pools. Change from conventional to conservation agriculture might trap a significant quantity of SOC. The study aims to investigate the potential of rice-based soils to sequester C and reduce the accelerated greenhouse effects through modified farming practices, such as crop residue retention, crop rotation, organic farming, varietal selection, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, and water management. Overall, lowland rice agroecosystems can sequester significant amounts of SOC, but this potential must be balanced against the potential for CH4 emissions. Management practices that reduce CH4 emissions while increasing soil C sequestration should be promoted and adopted to maximize the sustainability of rice agroecosystems. This review is important for understanding the effectiveness of the balance between SOC sequestration and CH4 emissions in lowland rice agroecosystems for adopting sustainable agricultural practices in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, 80 per cent of the farmers are small and marginal farmers. They primarily depend on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood security. The rice-rice cropping system reduces farm income, declined soil fertility and other soil degradation problems. The farming system approach is a holistic tool to address the problems of mono-cropping through diversification that enhances farm income, production and employment. A field study was conducted during 2011–2018 to study the impact of the rice-based integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) for profitability, carbon emission and sustainability. Recycling of resources and residues led to higher productivity (58.9 %) and net profit (48.5 %) over the initial year by adopting rice-based ICLS. This system had a net profit of $ 3097/year and generated 776 man T days/ha/year employments. In ICLS, the recyclable farm waste material of 28.98 tons is converted into organic manures of 16.03 tons and saves the fertilizer’s cost of $ 504 per year. It can be a sustainable model with a sustainable yield index (0.11) of for wet situations with less carbon-emitting and profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a focus on clean power generation, and it is critical to assess the environmental impact of novel technologies used in pollution control in power generation. The study uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal power plants with different emission control techniques in an Indian scenario. As there are no such studies available in the Indian context, this work might provide a holistic view of the impacts of energy generation. A supercritical coal-fired plant with a capacity of 660 MW is considered in this study. The system boundary included coal extraction, transportation, power plant operation, and transmission losses of electricity with a functional unit of 1 kWh. It was observed that there was an energy penalty due to the power consumed in emission control devices, but the maximum energy penalty was due to the power used in the carbon capture system. The LCA is done from "cradle to gate", with impact indicators at the mid-point evaluated using the RECIPE (H) 2016 LCIA method. LCA results showed that power plant operation is the most significant contributor to environmental impact. Initially, in cases 1 and 2, climate change (CC) potential was a major impact category, but CC potential was reduced with carbon capture and storage, 0.27 kg CO2 eq. in case 3 with ESP, FGD, SCR, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) and 0.263 kg CO2 eq. in case 4 with ESP and CCS. But there was a considerable increase in the majority of the impact categories in case 4. Freshwater consumption potential increased from 3.98 E−03 m3 in base case 1 to 4.98 E−03 m3 in case 3 due to the amount of water used in chemical production during CCS, as CC potential is a major concern in power generation, However, compared to case 1, the potential for climate change increased in case 2, whilst in case 4, the potential for climate change is lower but has resulted in an increase in the majority of impact categories. Case 3 shows an optimal approach to reducing CO2 emissions compared to other cases. The combination of ESP, FGD, SCR, and CCS is favourable for cleaner energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different Ailanthus excelsa-based agroforestry systems (Bund/boundary, scattered trees in the existing farming systems) are practiced by the farmers in dry parts of north-west India. However, improved A. excelsa-based agroforestry systems are not popular among the farmers. Therefore, in this study, improved A. excelsa-based agroforestry systems (in association with pearl millet-mustard and cluster bean-wheat) were introduced with different tree densities (50, 100, 150 and 200 trees ha−1) to identify its effect on crop yield and soil attributes (fertility and productivity). In the present study, yields of agricultural crops were not influenced by A. excesla, irrespective of crop or tree density; however, higher yields were recorded under sole cropping in both the cropping systems. Among different tree densities, higher crop yields were recorded with 50 trees ha−1. Soil fertility status in terms of organic matter (OM), available P and K improved under agroforestry systems as compared to sole cropping. Growth of A. excelsa under tree densities and in association with crops was at par, maximum girth (47.10 cm) at breast height was recorded under density of 200 trees ha−1 with cluster bean-wheat cropping sequence. Two years experimentation showed maximum benefits under agroforestry with 200 trees ha−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study estimates the soil organic carbon stock under various cropping systems to assess their sequestration potential in a tropical monsoon region, namely the Chulliyar-Ikshumathi sub-watershed of Bharathapuzha in Kerala, India. The cropping systems selected are the paddy, vegetables, coconut-arecanut groves, homestead farms, and mango plantations. The standard soil analyzing procedures to collect and analyze 129 soil samples from 43 locations were followed. The carbon stock (CS) of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depth layers at each sampling location was estimated following the Walkley-Black method. The sequestration potential of soil under each cropping system is estimated to suggest an optimal cropping system for the region. The CS decreased with depth, irrespective of cropping systems. Among the cropping systems, the mango plantations, which practiced zero/no-tillage, have stability in the distribution of CS, while paddy fields showed higher variability in the CS. Even though mango plantations have more carbon sequestration potential (CSP), the coconut-arecanut grove is a better candidate for carbon sequestration (CSeq) in this region owing to its wider areal extent and acceptability. This analysis reveals the importance of assessing CS at the watershed level for sustainable land use planning to achieve better sequestration of atmospheric carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Non‐forested open natural ecosystems (ONEs) support high biodiversity as well as livelihoods of millions of pastoralists, but are highly threatened due to land conversion. To improve the recognition of their value, we generated a high‐resolution (30 m) map of ONEs in the low elevation arid and semi‐arid regions of India. Location: Indian subcontinent. Taxon: Open natural ecosystems, consisting of a range of non‐forested habitats. Methods: We used public datasets in the Google Earth Engine catalogue to identify and mask out pixels with non‐ONE land‐cover types, and biophysical attributes outside the environmental envelopes of ONEs. We used 181,812 ONE and 116,447 non‐ONE training points along with the input composite image to train random forest classifiers to estimate the probability of a pixel being an ONE. We developed a series of local classifiers for each of eight regions of interest and created a mask of pixels with ≥50% probability of being an ONE. Results: The overall classification accuracy for this map was 85%, with a Kappa statistic of 0.70. We find that ONEs cover approximately 320,000 km2 (10%) of India's land surface, but <5% of ONEs are covered under the existing protected area network of India. ONE areas vary greatly by region, from 6 km2 in New Delhi (0.4% area) to 115,069 km2 in Rajasthan (33% area). Main Conclusions: A large proportion of India's geographical area represents an ecosystem that is un‐recognized and under‐protected. This open data source can be used by policy makers and planners to exclude these habitats when considering the location of renewable energy, tree planting for carbon sequestration and other development projects that negatively impact ONEs. We encourage further refinement of ONE maps in India, incorporating vegetation and floristic characteristics, as well as further consideration of these vulnerable neglected ecosystems in other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual average increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is touching new heights every year. Global climate change and warming are twin outcomes of record-breaking CO2 levels. The trees outside forests (TOF) are the most promising and suitable components in the ecosystem for combating global warming via carbon (C) sequestration. Urban university campuses are the hotspot regions of TOF. We have attempted to quantify the C stock, C sequestration potential, and C credit value of dominant tree species at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak. Different volumetric and biomass equations were used for biomass computation. We assessed a total of 29,442 trees (top 10) for measuring phytosociological parameters like total tree count, age, height (H), and diameter at breast height (DBH) to quantify the amount of C stored. The total C stock, C sequestration rate, and monetary value were 78.67 (Mg C ha−1), 19.05 (Mg CO2 ha−1 year−1), and 23,101.59 $ year−1, respectively. Eucalyptus globulus is the most dominant tree species on the campus and topped almost all the quantitative characteristics like total tree count (~40 %), age (25 years), density (D) (55.35 trees ha−1), and total C stock (16.06 ± 9.90 Mg C ha−1). Tree basal area (BA), D, diversity, and H positively affected the total C stocks. When the C market becomes operational, these C credits can be traded while generating additional income for the university. The results from this study can also help calculate the total C footprint of the campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests serve as a sink and source of carbon and play a substantial role in regional and global carbon cycling. The Himalayan forests act as climate regulators of the Hindukush region, which is experiencing climate change at a high pace, and a proper understanding of these systems is necessary to mitigate this problem. We hypothesize that the variance of abiotic factors and vegetation will influence the carbon sink and source function of the different forest types of the Himalayas. Carbon sequestration was computed from the increment of carbon stocks estimated allometrically using Forest Survey of India equations, and soil CO2 flux was determined by the alkali absorption method. The carbon sequestration rate and CO2 flux by the different forests exhibited a negative relation. The carbon sequestration rate was highest with minimum emission in the temperate forest, while the tropical forest recorded the least sequestration and maximum carbon flux rate. The Pearson correlation test between carbon sequestration and tree species richness and diversity revealed a positive-significant influence but negative relation with climatic factors. An analysis of variance indicated significant seasonal differences between the rate of soil carbon emissions due to variations in the forest. A multivariate regression analysis of the monthly soil CO2 emission rate shows high variability (85%) due to fluctuations of climatic variables in the Eastern Himalayan forests. Results of the present study revealed that the carbon sink and source function of forests respond to changes in forest types, climatic variables, and edaphic factors. Tree species and soil nutrient content influenced carbon sequestration, while shifts in climatic factors influenced soil CO2 emission rate. Increased temperature and rainfall may further change the soil quality by enhancing soil CO2 emission and reducing soil organic carbon, thereby impacting this region's carbon sink and source function. Enhancing tree diversity in the forests of this region may be beneficial for retarding this impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantation tree species have an immense potential for significantly reducing the atmospheric carbon dioxide and hence regulating climate change. The present study assessed the role of tree species to store carbon and soil enrichment in the eastern plateau and hill region of India. The species investigated were Leucaena leucophala, Gmelina arborea, Cassia siamea, and Eucalyptus tereticornis. The plantation of trees was found to have higher levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) (0.53–0.62%), nitrogen (239.12–253.01 kg ha−1), phosphorus (37.02–38.79 kg ha−1), and potassium (175.47–237.22 kg ha−1) over the non-forested land (control) but was lower in the levels of pH (5.28–5.95) and bulk density (1.32–1.52 g cm−3). However, as soil depth increased, the nutritional status of both plantation and non-forested land soil decreased. The per cent SOC was the highest in surface layers, while the bulk density was the highest in sub-surface layers under different forest plantations. The maximum SOC (0.62%) and bulk density (1.52 g cm−3) were present in Gmelina arborea and Eucalyptus tereticornis plantation, respectively. Among the studied tree species, the soil carbon density and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) were found to be maximum (13.56 t ha−1 and 1.28 t ha−1 year−1) in Gmelina arborea followed by Eucalyptus tereticornis, Cassia siamea, and Leucaena leucocephala, respectively, depicting that these tree species have a stronger capacity to sequester and store carbon, making them suitable as atmospheric carbon reducers. The study also demonstrated that forest plantation enhanced the SOC, nutrient stock, and other crucial soil fertility indicators compared to non-forested site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires are an important ecological force that shaped the forest ecosystems, but uncontrolled fires also cause great loss of biological diversity, as well as economic wealth. Fires are critical pathways of carbon loss from a tropical dry deciduous forest. The present work estimates the effect of forest fires on tree biomass and carbon storage pattern of tropical dry deciduous forest of Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Forest fire maps were prepared using Landsat Images (1997–2017), which were classified into seven fire frequency classes (B1–B7) and one control class (B0). Five plots were laid randomly in every fire class and all trees were enumerated in these fire frequency classes. A total of 44 tree species were recorded belonging to 33 genera and 21 families. The density ranged 402–597 individuals/ha while basal area ranged 8.84–15.89 m2/ha. The total trees biomass ranged from 71.41 to 124.58 Mg/ha, and total carbon ranged between 33.87 and 59.26 Mg C/ha. Among all fire frequency classes; the highest biomass was recorded in B2 (124.00 Mg/ha) followed by B0 (118.00 Mg/ha) whereas the least was in the B7 (70.80 Mg/ha) class. Carbon stock has the same pattern as that biomass accumulation. Tree carbon stock showed a significant positive relationship with a basal area (R2 = 9.66). Our results reveal that the higher percentage of carbon was stored in intermediate burned areas whereas the lower percentage was in higher fire frequency areas. The results of the present study would improve understanding of carbon stock present in different fire frequencies and could be used to enhance the carbon sequestration potential in fire-affected areas through conservation and proper management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate quantification of regional terrestrial fluxes is essential for improving our knowledge of the carbon sequestration potential of ecosystems, ecosystem functioning, and emission reduction demand in the context of climate change mitigation. However, the quantification is challenging owing to methodological and observational constraints, especially for regions with severe gaps in the ground-based observational network, like India. This study examines the potential of recent satellite missions, such as TROPOMI and OCO-2 providing retrievals of Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) to improve terrestrial biosphere CO2 flux estimates over India. Here, we present high-resolution estimates of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) over India on a 0.1°×0.1° grid at a temporal resolution of 1 hour from 2012 to 2020. These products can be used for various applications such as those related to the carbon cycle (e.g., inverse modelling of CO2), benchmarking terrestrial biosphere models over the region, and understanding ecosystem responses to climate change. We follow a satellite-based diagnostic data-driven approach using a biosphere model, namely the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) simulating both GPP and NEE, based on light use efficiency and satellite observations of the near-infrared radiance of vegetation (NIRv). We calibrate the standard VPRM GPP estimates using SIF-GPP relationship and investigate the model performance by comparing the simulations with eddy-covariance flux tower measurements. Our best model predictions are with a mean bias error (MBE) = 2.4 µmol m-2 s-1, root mean squared error (RMSE) = 3.8 µmol m-2 s-1 and squared correlation coefficient (R2) = 0.56 when evaluating with observations at a monthly scale over the period from 2012 to 2018. The observed seasonal anomalies in NEE and GPP range from -4.9 to 8.0 µmol m-2 s-1 and -7.0 to 17.0 µmol m-2 s-1, respectively, and are well captured by our model. The model simulations are highly correlated with observations during 2018, the only common year when both EC and SIF observations are available, with R2 values of 0.68 and 0.74 for NEE and GPP, respectively. Incorporating the SIF signals in the vegetation model improves model performance in capturing the seasonality and magnitudes of GPP, thereby improving the estimates of NEE. We show the influence of soil temperature and soil moisture on ecosystem respiration and refined the VPRM's ecosystem respiration calculation to better constrain the fluxes, resulting in simulations closer to the observations. Ecosystem respiration fluxes are less well constrained than ecosystem productivity fluxes due to limited observations. Based on satellite observations and the refined model, the annual NEE and GPP estimates range from -0.38 Pg C yr-1 to -0.53 Pg C yr-1 (land C sink) and 3.39 Pg C yr-1 to 3.88 Pg C yr-1, respectively, over India for the years from 2012 to 2020. The biospheric flux distribution over the region is found to be associated with ecosystem heterogeneity, variations in precipitation, and soil characteristics at a regional scale. Overall, our results show that the satellite-based SIF data products can potentially inform ecosystem-scale vegetation responses across biomes in India. Future improvements in the terrestrial biosphere CO2 flux estimates over India can be attained through the carbon cycle data assimilation with the availability of both flux and mixing ratio observations of CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a developing country like India, the primary source of power generation is fossil fuels. The lion's share of India's electricity production is from fossil fuels leading to massive greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) like CO 2 , which causes global warming. To deal with climate change and control global warming, the carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) project in geological formation is a practical, comparatively secure, inevitable and emergent method to be materialized. However, CO 2 storage in deep geological structures in the sedimentary basin has a risk of leakage due to the geological formation of different seams, which might harm human beings, including different underground, terrestrial, and aquatic species. It could affect the energy sources of our environment also. Therefore the selection of CO 2 storage site in geological media is based on some criteria, and therefore it is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. The multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) method is proposed to get a more impartial result, using the soft computing methodology Pythagorean fuzzy VIKOR ("VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje", a Serbian term for "multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution") modified with a novel divergence called Pythagorean fuzzy Jensen-Shannon Song (PJSS). The fuzzy DEMATEL (DEcision MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method is introduced to evaluate the criteria weights. A Comparative Study and Sensitivity analysis are also presented in this article. Finally, the outcomes of the work show that the proposed methodology is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of cropping systems on soil aggregation and associated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stabilization in relation to soil's antecedent C level has not been well addressed, which is essential for prioritization of agricultural soils for C and N sequestration. In this background, the present study investigated the influence of maize-wheat (MW) and soybean-wheat (SW) cropping systems and continuous fallow (CF) on soil aggregation and associated C and N storage in four soils of same type and texture (sandy loam textured Typic Ustorthents) but different antecedent C levels: a low-C soil (Soil 1, 5.6 g C kg–1), two medium-C soils (Soil 2, 9.0 g C kg–1 and Soil 3, 9.6 g C kg–1) and a high-C soil (Soil 4, 12.9 g C kg–1). While in low-C soil, MW outperformed the SW in increasing aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) by 13% and C and N preservation capacities of macroaggregate fractions by 5–52%; in medium-C soils, the opposite occurred where SW showed 4–9% increased MWD and 8–76% increased C and N preservation capacity over MW. Contrarily in high-C soil, the two cropping systems behaved similarly; these decreased the aggregate MWD by 6–10% and the macroaggregate-preserved C and N by 8–39% compared to the CF. Changes in macroaggregate C and N storage were significantly related to bulk soil C and N levels (R2 = 0.65–0.85, p < 0.05). Conclusively, the selection of cropping systems to improve aggregate C and N storage must preconsider the antecedent soil C level; because the magnitude and direction of cropping impacts on C and N storage depend on soil's antecedent C level. For a greater physical stabilization of sequestered C and N, in the Entisols of northwest India, MW and SW may be promoted to low- and medium-C soils, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand, India to estimate the carbon stock and sequestration potential of Dalbergia latifolia and Melia composita plantations of different ages (4 and 6 years old). A total of 14 regression equations using one variable, dbh (diameter at breast height), were primarily selected for both of the tree species component-wise. Tree density was 880 and 960 individuals ha−1 in D. latifolia and M. composita monoplantations, respectively. These equations were statistically significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) at 95% confidence interval. The total biomass of trees, shrubs, and herbs at the different-aged plantations varied from 68.86 to 145.14 Mg ha−1, 1.29 to 2.41 Mg ha−1, and 1.14 to 3.68 Mg ha−1, respectively. Among the studied plantations, the maximum total biomass of 145.14 Mg ha−1 was recorded at the M. composita plantation (7 years old), resulting in the maximum carbon stock of 68.94 Mg C ha−1. Total NPP ranged from 5.6 Mg ha−1yr−1 to 16.01 Mg ha−1yr−1 for both plantations of different ages. The carbon sequestration in the M. composita 7-year-old plantation was 7.6 Mg Cha−1yr−1. Quantified carbon sequestration among different tree components must be considered for tree-level inventories for carbon trading schemes when determining the long-term carbon pools under the Paris agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, land degradation, and desertification lead to the loss of carbon present in the soil and plants. The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere has reached 412 ppm. This is a rise of 47% since the start of the industrial period, when the concentration was close to 280 ppm. Therefore, the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to earth is the need of the hour. Many scientists have suggested agroforestry as a potent instrument for climate change mitigation as well as to fetch lucrative benefits. The Indian government is also promulgating tree-based systems for increasing tree cover up to 33% of the total geographical area to mitigate climate change. Therefore, the expansion of the commercial agroforestry system of fast-growing tree species producing higher biomass could be a sustainable and ecologically benign technique to sequester carbon, increase green cover, and improve the financial status of farmers. This review highlights the commercial agroforestry systems, biomass and carbon sequestration potential, and case studies of poplar and eucalyptus. The species such as poplar (Populus deltoides), nilgiri (Eucalyptus spp.), subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), tree of heaven (Ailanthus excelsa), willow (Salix spp.), malabar neem (Melia dubia), cadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba), and white teak (Gmelina arborea) are the suitable tree species for carbon sequestration under agroforestry. Among these species, poplar and eucalyptus are major agroforestry tree species that have been adopted by millions of farmers in India since the 1990s. Indo-Gangetic plains are considered the birthplace of commercial or industrial agroforestry, as poplar and eucalyptus are widely planted. This review reports that poplar and eucalyptus have the potential to sequester carbon stock of 212.7 Mg C ha−1 and 237.2 Mg C ha−1, respectively. Further, the net carbon sequestration rate in poplar and eucalyptus was 10.3 and 12.7 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. In conclusion, the commercial agroforestry system was very successful in the Indo-Gangetic regions of the country but needs further expansion with suitable compatible crops in different parts of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay–organic complexes (COC) impart chemical and physical protection to soil carbon (C). In the present study, the aim was to assess the long-term effects of different organic amendments on C stability in COC, distribution of the aggregates, C concentration in the aggregates and labile organic C fractions in the inceptisols located at the research farm situated in the semi-arid sub-tropical climate of India. The results showed that the COC, the percentage of large macroaggregates (LMA) (>2 mm) and the C associated with the aggregates decreased through the soil depths, whereas the other size fractions of soil aggregates (<2 mm) showed an increasing trend. The COC was significantly higher (4.4 times) in soil treatments where farmyard manures (FYM), green manure (GM) and biofertilizers (BF) were applied together (FYM + GM + BF). The organic amendments increased the proportion of LMA over control (no application of organic amendments) to a magnitude of 83 to 101% and the C associated with LMA to a magnitude of 0.48 to 9.8% over control in surface soil. On average, the combined application of FYM, GM and BF exhibited higher C accumulation in almost all soil aggregate fractions, except microaggregates (mA), i.e., (0.25–0.053 mm) size fractions, where application of FYM alone recorded the highest value. Averaged over soil depths, the particulate organic C (POC), dissolved organic C (DOC) and potassium permanganate oxidizable C (POXC) were significantly higher under integrated organic treatments than individual amendments. The significantly higher correlation between COC and the percentage of LMA and aggregate-associated C implied their direct role in soil aggregate formation and their stability. The carbon stability, i.e., retention time of humus in soil, was significantly correlated with soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, potassium permanganate oxidizable C, C mineralization (Cmin), glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), macroaggregate (MA)-associated C and rice equivalent yield (REY). Overall, the data suggest that the combined application of FYM + GM + BF promotes soil quality under rice–wheat rotation in inceptisols in semi-arid sub-tropical India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To study the impact of salinity and water logging on Eucalyptus growth, carbon (C) sequestration in tree biomass and organic C pool under mulched and unmulched ridges. Methods: We studied the performance of five Eucalyptus clones viz. C-413, C-2135, C-7, PE-8 and PE-11 on mulched and unmulched ridges, their impact on C sequestration in tree biomass and soil organic C pool, and soil properties. Results: Electrical conductivity (E.C.) of soil under mulched ridges (3.54 ± 0.3 dS m−1) was decreased by ~ 3.9-times, compared with the unmulched ridges (13.9 ± 0.3 dS m−1) due to Eucalyptus plantation. Tree survival rate on mulched ridges was ~ 78.1%, while on unmulched ridges was ~ 63.4%; C-7 clone had the lowest (~ 55.0%), while the PE-8 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher (~ 89.5%) survival rate. Mulching increased the tree girth (~ 8.7%), height (~ 13.8%), timber wood (~ 18.4%), branches (~ 21.8%), twigs + leaves (~ 22.6%) and root biomass (~ 34.6%) after one year of plantation, compared with their plantation on unmulched ridges. Regardless of the plantation method, C-2135 clone had the lowest, while the PE-11 had the highest timber dry biomass, branches, twigs + leaves and root biomass. After 4-years of plantation, trees planted on mulched ridges had significantly higher C sequestration in timber dry biomass by 147.8 ± 18.4 Mg C ha−1 than those on unmulched ridges. Conclusions: Eucalyptus plantation offers a low cost strategy for C sequestration in waterlogged saline soils. Plastic mulching has overwhelming significance in enhancing tree survival rate and decreasing soil salinity with co-benefits of increased biomass productivity of Eucalyptus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands provide a great ecological service by accumulating and sequestering carbon in their soils and thus help in mitigating climate change caused due to global warming. However, the capacity and efficiency of different types of wetlands vary considerably depending upon the nature of the wetland, hydrology, biogeochemistry, climatic condition, and many other factors. In the present paper, we have studied the carbon accumulation and sequestration in three different wetlands, one sewage fed, and two floodplain oxbow lakes in the West Bengal state of India. The selected wetlands vary in terms of ecological regimes such as water volume, depth, link channel, agricultural runoffs, primary productivity, macrophyte coverage, and fishery. The carbon accumulation in the wetlands, which varied from 48.53 to 143.17 Mg/ha up to 30-cm depth of soil, was much higher than that in the corresponding upland sites. The difference was much higher in the floodplain wetlands. So the study revealed that wetlands are better carbon sinks than the corresponding reference sites and the carbon sequestration potential varies according to the type of wetlands. A positive correlation was also observed between macrophyte coverage and the amount of C stored in the wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests sequester six times higher carbon than that released by humans annually into the atmosphere. These biodiversity-rich tropical forests have high net primary productivity (NPP), which differs among constituent plant communities. Tropical moist deciduous forests occupy 179,335 km2 of India's geographical area and constitute 44% of the country's total protected area (PA) forests. The productivity of these forests has neither been estimated specifically nor precisely. We measured the annual NPP of three predominant distinct community types, viz., mixed (DM), sal (SM), and teak (TP), in a tropical moist deciduous forest in northern India. The NPP was estimated from tree biomass data collected from nine long-term ecological research (LTER) plots of 1 ha each representing the above three community types. The estimated annual NPP were 10.28, 6.25, and 9.79 Mg ha−1 year−1 in DM; 8.93, 7.09, and 10.59 Mg ha−1 year−1 in SM; and 14.57, 7.14, and 13.56 Mg ha−1 year−1 in TP for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. The NPP was correlated with tree density, height and DBH, species richness, diversity, microclimatic and edaphic variables, and leaf area index (LAI) using principal component analysis (PCA) and generalized linear modeling (GLM). Air temperature and humidity were strongly related to NPP in all the community types, while "complementarity" and "selection effects" contributed to the NPP in both the sal and mixed forest communities with equal importance, and the NPP in teak plantation ould point to "dominance effect." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests absorb atmospheric carbon and hence play a vital role in carbon sequestration and climate regulation. Recent research emphasizes developing technology and methods to understand the carbon sequestration potential in various forest ecosystems. Forest stand height estimation is one of the crucial parameters in allometry that estimates forest biomass. An attempt is made in this study to map forest stand height in tropical and sub-tropical forests in India using recently launched spaceborne LiDAR platforms Ice Cloud and Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2) and Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). A geostatistical kriging approach is used to interpolate the forest stand height, and the generated stand height surface is validated using ground truth samples. The results showed that GEDI data performed better with an RMSE of 3.99 m and 2.62 m in tropical forests than the ICESat-2 data, which showed an RMSE of 5.71 m and 5.08 m, respectively. A similar pattern was observed in sub-tropical forests where GEDI modelled stand height outperformed ICESat-2 modelled stand height. This analysis demonstrates the potential of existing spaceborne LiDAR platforms in interpolating forest stand height at different forest types. Also, the research emphasizes the necessity of a high density of LiDAR footprints spread in both across- and along-track directions for accurate interpolation of forest stand height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in a deep coal seam is one of the techniques to reduce global warming and mitigate climate change. The storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in a coal seam generally occurs due to the sorption of gas in the porous structure of coal. However, the sorption capacity varies with coal seam due to the variation in reservoir properties and environmental conditions. Therefore, in this paper, the aim of the study was to determine the gas sorption characteristics and their effect on carbon dioxide storage in coal. The volumetric method was used to determine the sorption capacity at variable pressure. Sorption isotherm was developed using the experimental data and correlated with established Langmuir and Freundlich models. Gas sorption capacity of coal samples was determined at 36 °C and 46 °C because of the variation of geothermal temperature in the study area. An increase in sorption capacity was observed with pressure. Decreased sorption capacity has resulted in elevated temperature. The shallower depth was found ideal for the successful CO2 storage. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were most suitable for determining sorption capacity in the study area. The isotherm constants indicated a favorable, normal, and cooperative sorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For millennium, mining sector is a source not only of mineral extraction for industrialization, economic expansion, and urban sprawling, but also of socio-environmental concern. It, therefore, has been the central attention of the business and public policy sustainable development scheme for several years. Thus, gradually, mining industries are getting involved with the concerns such as carbon emissions mitigation and carbon accounting to govern a rhetorical shift towards "sustainable mining". However, there is scarce knowledge about how the emergence of a "green and self-sustaining" forestry reclamation strategy coupled with potential carbon sequestration capacity in degraded mining areas will be an impeccable option for achieving sustainable development goal-13 (SDG-13: climate action) and ecosystem services during United Nation decade of ecosystem restoration. This paper reviews the extent to which reforestation and sustainable land management practices that employed to enhance ecosystem carbon pool and atmospheric CO2 sequestration capacity to offset CO2 emission and SOC (soil organic carbon) losses, as consequences of coal mining, to partially mitigate global climate crisis. Moreover, future research is required on mining innovation concepts and its challenges for designing an SDG impact framework, so that it not only synergies amongst SDGs, but also trade-offs between each individual "politically legitimized post-2015 development agenda" (i.e. UNSDGs) could be depicted in a systematic way. In a developing country like India, it is also an utmost need to assess the environmental impact and economic performance of such technological innovation and its possible synergistic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides increasing agricultural productivity, well-developed watersheds have immense potential to minimize land degradation, mitigating the adverse impact of climate change and generating several other ecosystem services (ES). Quantifying these services is quintessential in operationalizing the concept of management and decisionmaking relating to watershed management. The present study estimates the value of regulating (soil conservation and carbon sequestration) and supporting ES (groundwater recharge) generated by watersheds in India, and examines the factors that influence the flow of ES from watersheds. The study followed a meta-analysis approach using information from 221 watersheds in 5 major agroclimatic zones of the country. We found that the watershed generates ES to the tune of Rs 34,113 per ha, with water recharging alone accounting for 60% of it. It shows that people's participation in the planning, implementation and management of watersheds significantly enhances ES. Macro-watersheds (≥ 1000 ha) are more effective in generating ES, underscoring the need for investment in watersheds management in the semi-arid tropical regions, where problems of degradation of natural resources are more pronounced. This study suggests policies for land restoration and payment for ES to increase their flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mono-cropping, burning of crop residues, imbalanced fertilization and limited use of farm manure are resulting in loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). In this study, integrated soil-crop management (ILMsoil), improved management (IMsoil) and conventional management (CMsoil) was studied to enhance the soil carbon sequestration for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to estimate carbon footprint from successive crops of rice, mustard and jute with or without intercrops or mixed crops. The adoption of ILMsoil helped in reducing the carbon footprint by 78%. The overall economic yield increased by 25% over IMsoil as well. Net CO2-eq emission was 68% less under ILMsoil as compared to other systems. The reduction in net LCA-GHG emission was mainly due to high SOC sequestration by jute crop and leguminous intercrops and mixed crops. Improved crop diversification and agronomic productivity as used in ILMsoil system may decrease the inputs of non-renewable energy and consequently reduce the emission of GHGs from agroecosystems. Improvement of soil health, minimization in nutrient and water losses, and application of the increased amount of organic fertilizers were found helpful in reducing the carbon footprint. ILMsoil method of cultivation in 0.70 million hectare of jute growing area may reduce about 0.40 million tonnes of CO2-eq from atmosphere every year and provide carbon credit of 1.22 million US$to the farmers of eastern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interrelationship between the land use and land cover (LULC) pattern, land surface temperature (LST), carbon stock, and sequestration has been assessed using satellite data and Geographical Information System (GIS) tools in Imphal-West district, Manipur, India (North Eastern region of India). LST for the past 10 years (2011–2021) was calculated using three retrieval methods such as Mono Window Algorithm (MWA), Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) and Single Channel Algorithm (SCA). The calculated LST (temperature varies in the range of 10°–40°C) was compared with atmospheric temperature values obtained from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data as well as field (ground station) data collected. From the comparison, it was observed that the SCA method obtained a minimum mean temperature difference (minimum error) as compared to MODIS data, while the MWA method obtained a minimum mean temperature difference as compared to field data. The calculated (generated) results were again compared and validated using measured soil temperature data and observed similar trend showing MWA and SCA slightly efficient than RTE method. In order to understand the LULC change pattern in the study area as well as to estimate the aboveground biomass, LULC for the years 2011, 2016, 2021, and 2030 were also generated. Then, carbon stock for the years 2011, 2021, and 2030 and sequestration for the year 2030 were calculated using the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) model. It is concluded that the study area has witnessed a gradual increase in urbanisation (built-up area increases by up to 2.9% in 10 years, i.e., between 2011 and 2021, but significantly decreases in barren land, 9.9%), but not an abrupt change in LST and carbon storage. However, the significant spatial change distribution of LST and carbon stock with the change in LULC pattern was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance carbon sequestration in soil and mitigate climate change, a better understanding of the effects of land management practices on soil carbon (C) pools is essential. The impacts of land preparation methods on soil C accruals and C alterations under two predominant rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) based agroforestry systems viz. rubber–pineapple and rubber–banana in the Western Ghats region of Kerala, India, were highlighted in this study. Soil samples were collected from each agroforestry system at two depths (0–30 and 30–60 cm) after the complete harvest of the intercrops and analysed for total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), inorganic carbon, oxidizable OC fractions (F1, F2, F3 and F4) and C in water stable aggregates. Tilling of rubber inter-rows for pineapple planting with earth movers reduced 18% of TC and OC and 23% of SOC stock in the upper 30 cm soil layer. Even though the high amount of soil C was lost during tillage, the high and diverse organic matter turnover in the rubber–pineapple system reduced the negative impact of tillage on soil quality. With respect to the rubber–banana system around 13% increase in TC and OC and 11% increase in SOC stock was observed compared to monoculture rubber. The high litter turnover contributed to greater soil C, indicating high C sequestration potential of both agroforestry systems. The study also advocates the importance and need of reorientation of land management strategies for rubber agroforestry systems to attain global food security and C sustainability from a climate change perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ecotourism has been identified as an adaptation strategy for mitigating climate change impacts, as it can optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery, and livelihood benefits and generate new opportunities for the sustenance of the economy, environment, and society of the area endowed with natural resources and cultural values. With the growing responsibility at the global level, ecotourism resource management (ERM) becomes inevitable for its sustainable requirements. The integration of ecological and socio-economic factors is vital for ERM, as has been demonstrated by developing an Ecotourism Sustainability Maximization Model for an area under study, that is the Yuksam-Dzongri corridor (also known as Kangchendzonga Base Camp Trek), in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), Sikkim, India. This model is based on the earlier developed ecotourism sustainability assessment (ESA) framework by the authors, which is based on the hierarchical relationship among ecotourism principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers. Employing such relationships, this paper attempts to maximize ecotourism sustainability (ES) as a function of its sustainability principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers, subject to the constraints identified through the safe minimum standard (SMS) approach by employing linear programming. Using 58 indicators as decision variables and 114 constraints, the model resulted in a maximum level of achievable ES with a score of 84.6%, allowing the resultant optimum values of the indicators to be maintained at the operational level. A central tenet of the model is the collective responsibility and adoption of a holistic approach involving the government, tourists, tourism enterprises, and local people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study was conducted on 79 harvested poplar trees of eight-years-old planted at five spacing geometries (5 × 4 m, 10 × 2 m, 18 × 2 × 2 m, North–South and East–West boundary) to construct component-wise dry biomass (above + below ground) equations for estimating biomass & carbon sequestered. The complete data were randomly divided into two mutually exclusive and independent sets viz estimation-set (80%) to fit the model and validation-set (20%) to ascertain accuracy of the fitted model. DBH was found to be the most appropriate independent variate to construct best-fit biomass equations with growth attributes. Among various attempted functions (linear, allometric, logistic, Gompertz, Chapman and exponential), allometric function i.e., Total Biomass = 0.2575*DBH(2.191) (R2Adj = 0.97, RMS = 925.71 and AIC = 427.87) was found to be the best-fit. The total dry biomass production of poplar varied from 69.90 to 207.98 Mg ha−1 in aboveground and 13.46 to 36.69 Mg ha−1 in belowground in five planting geometries. Total carbon storage (above + below ground) under various spacings viz 5 × 4 m, 10 × 2 m, 18 × 2 × 2 m, North–South and East–West boundary poplar were 112.48, 101.80, 84.87, 77.28 and 38.84 Mg C ha−1, respectively. The carbon sequestration rate was observed to be higher in 5 × 4 m (14.09 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) closely followed by 10 × 2 m (12.61 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), 18 × 2 × 2 m (10.50 Mg C ha−1 yr−1),E–West (9.56 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) and North–South plantation (4.80 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). Keeping in view, regionally derived allometric equations contribute to limiting the uncertainty in the estimation of biomass and carbon sequestration, which may be helpful to monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) needs in carbon management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]