Species-driven variability in soil health and carbon storage across bamboo plantations

Understanding the biomass carbon stocks in bamboo plantations is essential for quantifying their role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. This study examines the soil properties, nutrient dynamics, and carbon sequestration potential of 8 years old four common bamboo species: Bambusa nutans, Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus strictus, and Melocanna bambusoides in the irrigated region of Punjab, Pakistan. The results revealed significant variations in soil parameters: pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil moisture, and bulk density (BD) across different depths within the selected bamboo groves, although EC did not show a consistent trend with soil depth. Soil nitrogen ranked as M. bambusoides > D. strictus > B. vulgaris > B. nutans, while phosphorus and potassium availability were ordered as B. vulgaris > M. bambusoides > B. nutans > D. strictus. The maximum litter biomass production (6.49 Mg ha⁻¹) occurred in the B. vulgaris grove, exceeding B. nutans, D. strictus, and M. bambusoides by 4.62%, 16.64%, and 13.41%, respectively. The highest concentrations of foliage nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were found in M. bambusoides, whereas the greater potassium concentration was measured in B. nutans. The highest total biomass carbon (148.85 Mg ha⁻¹) was recorded in the D. strictus grove, which was 22.15%, 48.95%, and 92.42% greater than B. vulgaris, B. nutans, and M. bambusoides, respectively. Additionally, the M. bambusoides grove exhibited the highest total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (32.29 Mg ha⁻¹), surpassing B. nutans, B. vulgaris, and D. strictus by 11.83%, 26.51%, and 42.27%, respectively. These findings indicate that integrating bamboo plantations could serve as a viable strategy for carbon sequestration and trading, contributing to climate change mitigation while providing social and economic benefits to rural communities.