AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Volume 13 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.3233/AJW-160019
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Spatio-temporal Variability in Soil Macronutrients and  Their Relation with Other Soil Properties in a Man-made  Wetland of India

Ridhi Saluja1 J.K. Garg1*
Show Less
1 University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Dwarka, Delhi – 110078, India
AJWEP 2016, 13(2), 83–95; https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-160019
Submitted: 4 October 2015 | Revised: 22 March 2016 | Accepted: 22 March 2016 | Published: 18 April 2016
© 2016 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Present study was carried out to analyze the nutrient status within the surface soils of Bhindawas wetland,  a bird and waterfowl paradise, on a temporal scale. Soil organic carbon (%SOC) and total nitrogen (%TN) in the  soil varied from 0.079% -2.94% and 0.014%-0.021% respectively. Total phosphorus (%TP) and total potassium  (TK) ranged from 0.067 mg/g and 1.16 mg/g to 1.34 mg/g and 4.6 mg/g. C:N ratio showed a large variation  from 16.57 to 798.57 along with C:P from 1.68 to 398.5. C:K and N:P showed narrow variation from 0.41% to  19.7% and from 0.03% to 3.13%. Soil parameters like SOC and TN peaked during May whereas TP and TK  were higher during or after rains highlighting the impact of hydroperiod on nutrient distribution. Many of the  parameters showed significant variations during months. Significant correlations were observed between SOC,  TN and TP ensuring that these nutrients had a common origin and were influenced by other physico-chemical  properties i.e. pH and bulk density. Analysis revealed that the wetland had both autochthonous and allochthonous  inputs that impact nutrient distribution within the wetland. Principal component analysis was used to analyze and  amalgamate the temporal variations within the soil nutrients and other parameters. Three principal components  were extracted explaining 78.32% of the total variation. Principal components could be characterized as ‘limiting  nutrients like TN and TP’, ‘organic carbon and its ratios’ and ‘potassium’. Higher levels of SOC within the wetland  soil emphasize its potential as a carbon sink. Carbon sequestration potential of this wetland further accentuates  the need for better conservation and management of the wetland.

Keywords
Soil nutrients
soil organic carbon
nitrogen
phosphorus
Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary
principal component analysis
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
References

Anderson, T.M., McNaughton, S.J. and M.E. Ritchie (2004). Scale-dependent relationships between the spatial distribution of a limiting resource and plant species diversity in an African grassland ecosystem. Oecologia, 139: 277-287.

Anila Kumary, K.S., Abdul Azis, P.K. and P. Natrajan (2001). Sediment characteristics of Poonthura estuary (southwest coast of India) in relation to pollution. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 30: 75-80.

Aselmann, I. and P.J. Crutzen (1989). Global distribution of natural freshwater wetlands and rice paddies, their net primary productivity seasonality and possible methane emissions. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 8: 307-358.

Aşkın, T. and N. Özdemir (2003). Soil bulk density as related to soil particle size distribution and organic matter content. Agriculture, 9(2): 52-55.

Bai, J., Ouyang, H., Xiao, R., Gao, J., Gao, H., Cui, B. and L. Huang (2010). Spatial variability of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus content and storage in an alpine wetland in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. Soil Research, 48(8): 730-736.

Bai, J., Wang, Q., Deng, W., Gao, H., Tao, W. and R. Xiao (2012). Spatial and seasonal distribution of nitrogen in marsh soils of a typical floodplain wetland in Northeast China. Environment Monitoring Assessment, 184: 1253- 1263.

Bertsch, P.M. and G.W. Thomas (1985). Potassium status of temperate region soils. Potassium in agriculture (potas- siuminagri), 131-162.

Bunn, S.E. (1988). Processing of leaf litter in a northern Jarrah forest stream, Western Australia: II. The role of macro invertebrates and the influence of soluble polyphenols and inorganic sediment. Hydrobiologia, 162: 201-210.

Catherine Pe´rie´ and Rock Ouimet (2007). Organic carbon, organic matter and bulk density relationships in boreal forest soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science.

Chakrapani, G.J. (2002). Water and sediment geochemistry of major Kumaun Himalayan wetlands, India. Environmental Geology, 43: 99-107.

Chandra, R., Ganesan, N., Prusty, B.A.K. and P.A. Azeez (2012). Soil Properties of a Tropical Savannah in the Eastern Ghats of India. Open Journal of Soil Science, 2(4): 353-363.

Chang, S.C. and M.L. Jackson (1957). Fractionation of soil phosphorus. Soil Science, 84: 133-144.

Chaudhari, P.R., Ahire, D.V., Ahire, V.D., Chkravarty, M. and S. Maity (2013). Soil Bulk Density as related to Soil Texture, Organic Matter Content and Available total nutrients of Coimbatore soil. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 3(2): 1-8.

Chen, R. and R.A. Twilley (1999). Simulation model of organic matter and nutrient accumulation in mangrove wetlandsoils. Biogeochemistry, 44: 93-118.

Collins, M.E. and R.J. Kuehl (2001). Organic matter in organic soils. In: Wetland soils, genesis, hydrology, landscapes and classification. Richardson J.L. and Vepraskas, M.J. (eds). Lewis, CRC, Boca Rato.

Curtis, R.O. and B.W. Post (1964). Estimating bulk density from organic matter content in some Vermont forest soils. Soil Science Society American Proceedings, 28: 285-286.

Eglin, T., Walter, C., Nys, C., Follian, S., Forgeard, F., Legout, A. and H. Squividant (2008). Influence of waterlogging on carbon stock variability at hillslope scale in a beech forest (Fougeres forest – West France). Ann. For. Sci., 65: 202-211.

Ewing, J.M. and M.J. Vepraskas (2006). Estimating primary and secondary subsidence in an organic soil 15, 20, and 30 years after drainage. Wetlands, 26(1): 119-130.

Gorham, E. (1991). Northern Peatlands: Role in carbon cycle and probable responses to climate warming. Ecol. Appl., 52: 182-195.

Gupta, R.C., Parasher, M. and T.K. Kaushik (2011). An enquiry into the avian biodiversity of Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar District in Haryana State in India. Journal of Experimental Zoology, India, 14(2): 457-465.

Hagedorn, F., Maurer, S., Egli, P., Blaser, P., Bucher, J.B. and R. Siegwolf (2001). Carbon sequestration in forest soils: Effects of soil type, atmospheric CO2 enrichment, and N deposition. European Journal of Soil Science, 52: 619-628.

Honda, C. (1962). Rapid procedure for determination of nitrogen in soil by Kjeldahl method. Journal of Science Soil Manure (Japan), 33: 195-200.

IPCC (2007).Summary for Policymakers (WGI). In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. Cambridge University Press.

Kleeberg,A. and M. Heidenreich (2004). Release of nitrogen and phosphorus from macrophyte stands of summer dried out sediments of a eutrophic reservoir. Archivfür Hydrobiologie, 159(1): 115-136.

Lal, R. (2004). Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science, 304: 1623- 1627.

Lovett, G.M., Weathers, K.C., Arthur, M.A. and J.C. Schultz (2004). Nitrogen cycling in a northern hardwood forest: Do species matter? Biogeochemistry, 67: 289-308.

Maestre, F.T., Cortina, J., Bautista, S., Bellot, J. and R. Vallejo (2003). Small-scale environmental heterogeneity and spatiotemporal dynamics of seedling survival in a degraded semiarid ecosystem. Ecosystems, 6: 630-643.

Majumder, B., Mandal, B., Bandyopadhyay, P.K. and J. Chaudhury (2007). Soil organic carbon pools and productivity relationships for a 34-year old rice–wheat– jute agroecosystem under different fertilizer treatments. Plant and Soil, 297(1-2): 53-67.

Mandal, O.P., Bandana Singh, B.K., Mandal, T.N. and K.M.P. Sinha (2003). Monthly variation in physico-chemical characteristics of a wetland of North Bihar (India) . Pollution Research, 22(1): 139-142.

Manlay, R.J., Masse, D., Chevallier, T., Rusell-Smith, A., Friot, D. and C. Feller (2004). Post-fallow decomposition of woody roots in the West African Savanna. Plant Soil, 260: 123-136.

Mathew, M., Kumar, M.S., Azeez, P.A., Sivakumar, R. and S. Pattabi (2002). Sediment Quality of wetlands in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 68: 389-393.

Matthews, E. and I. Fung (1987) . Methane emissions from natural wetlands: Global distribution, area and environmental characteristics of sources . Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 1: 61-86.

Mengel, K. (1982). Dynamics and availability of major nutrients in soils. Advances in Soil Science, 2: 65-131.

Miller, R.W. and R.L. Donahue (1997) . Soils in our environment. 7th Edition. Prentice Hall India, New Delhi.

Mitsch, W.J. and J.G. Gosselink (2000). Wetlands (3rd Edition). Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc. New York.

Mou, P., Jones, R.H., Mitchell, R.J. and B. Zutter (1995). Spatial distribution of roots in Swetgum and Lobolly Pine monocultures and relations with aboveground biomass and soil nutrients. Functional Ecology, 9(4): 689-699.

Murthy, P.S.N. and M. Veerayya (1981). Studies on the sediments of Vembanad Lake, Kerala State: Part IV. Distribution of trace elements. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 10: 165-172.

Nowicki, B.L., Requintina, E., Van Keuren, D. and J. Portnoy (1999). The role of sediment denitrification in reducing groundwater-derived nitrate inputs to Nauset Marsh Estuary, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Estuaries, 22(2): 245-259.

Olde Venterink, H., Van der Vliet, R.E. and M.J. Wassen (2001). Nutrient limitation along a productivity gradient in wet meadows. Plant Soil, 234: 171-179.

Pan, G.X. (1999). Study on carbon reservoir in soils of China. Bulletin of Science and Technology, 15: 330-332.

Patrick, W.H. and D.S. Mikkelson (1974). Plant nutrient behavior in flooded soil. In: R.S. Olson (ed.), Fertilizer Technology and Use. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Inc., U.S.A.

Prusty, B.A.K. , Chandra, R. and P.A. Azeez (2009) . Distribution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in the soil in a multiple habitat system in India. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 47(2): 177-189.

Prusty, B.A.K. , Chandra, R. and P.A. Azeez (2010) . Macronutrients along the sediment profile in a subtropical monsoonal wetland in India . Wetland Ecology and Management, 18: 91-105.

Reddy, R.K. and W.H. Patrick (1975). Effect of alternate aerobic and anaerobic conditions on redox potential, organic matter decomposition, and nitrogen loss in flooded soils. Soil Biol Biochem., 7: 87-94.

Rejmánková, E., Komárková, J. and M. Rejmánek (2004). δ15 as an indicator of N2-fixation by cyanobacterial mats in tropical marshes. Biogeochemistry, 67: 353-368.

Robinson, D., Hodge, A., Griffiths, B.S. and A.H. Fitter (1999). Plant root proliferation in nitrogen-rich patches confers competitive advantage. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences, 266: 431-435.

Rusell, C.A., Kosola, K.R., Paul, E.A. and G.P. Robertson (2004). Nitrogen cycling in poplar stands defoliated by insects. Biogeochemistry, 68: 365-381.

Saluja, R. and J.K. Garg (2015). Surface water quality assessment of Bhindawas Lake (Haryana, India) using multivariate statistical techniques. Journal of Global Ecology and Environment, 2(1): 34-46.

Sankaran, G., Jothivel, S., Govindasamy, V. and M. Nateesan (2014). Geochemical and textural characterization of minerals in Thondi coastal sediments along the southeast coast of India. Journal of Oceanography and Marine Science, 5(5): 37-44.

Scheffer, F. and P. Schachtschabel (1989). Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde. Enke Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany.

Schroeder, D. (1978). Structure and weathering of potassium containing minerals. Prol’ . 11th Congr. Int. Potash Inst.

Sileika, A.S., Gaigalis, K., Kutra, G. and A. Smitiene (2005). Factors affecting N and P losses from small catchments (Lithuania). Environment Monitoring and Assessment, 102: 359-374.

Singh, B.K. and N.N. Jha (2002). Nutrient status of sediments of Kawar wetland in Bihar. Nature, Environment and Pollution Technology, 1(2): 107-114.

Sleutel, S., Moeskops, B., Huybrechts, W. et al. (2008). Modeling soil moisture effects on net nitrogen mineral- ization in loamy wetland soils. Wetlands, 28(3): 724- 734.

Sparks, D.L. (1980). Chemistry of soil potassium in Atlantic coastal plain soils: A review. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 11: 435-449.

Sumesh, C., Benno Pereira, F.G., Sachin, S.R., Sini Wilson and C.S. Jyothilal (2014). Sediment characteristics of the Thekkumbhagon kayal of the Ashtamudi Estuary, Kerala, India. Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 2(1): 276-282.

Tiner, R.W. (1999). Wetland Indicators: A guide to wetland identification, delineation, classification and mapping. 1st Edition. CRC Press, U.S.A.

Trivedy, R.K. and P.K. Goel (1984). Chemical and Biological Methods for water pollution studies. Environmental Publishers, Karad, India.

Walkley, A. and I.A. Black (1934). An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 38: 29-37.

Wetzel, R.G. (2001). Limnology: Lake and river ecosystems, 3rd Edition. Academic Press, New York.

Zhang, J. (1998). Effects of global climate change on C and N circulation in natural soils. Chinese Geographical Science, 18(5): 463-471.

Zhang, W., Xiao, H., Tong, C., Su, Y., Xiang, W., Huang, D., Syer, J. and J. Wu (2008). Estimating organic carbon storage in temperate wetland profiles in Northeast China. Geoderma, 146: 311-316.

Zech,W., Senesi,N., Guggenberger, G., Kaiser, K., Lehmann, J., Miano, T.M., Miltner, A. and G. Schroth (1997). Factors controlling humification and mineralization of soil organic matter in tropics. Geoderma, 79: 117-161.

Share
Back to top
Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing