Assessing Soil Carbon Sequestration in Salt-Affected Areas Managed with Vermicompost and Organic Waste Materials: A Geographic Information System Approach

抄録

Global warming is a significant challenge faced by many countries worldwide. It adversely affects the environment, climate, society, agriculture, and human life as a whole. The primary cause of global warming is the accumulation of greenhouse gases, which leads to issues such as droughts, decreased agricultural productivity, and climate change. Notably, soil and plants can store more carbon than the atmosphere can. Salt-affected soils are a prevalent issue in many regions worldwide. Therefore, monitoring and surveying soil carbon storage are essential. This study aimed to utilize geographic information systems (GIS) to assess organic carbon levels in salt-affected soils in an area where vermicomposting was applied with organic waste materials. The results showed that the saline soils treated with vermicompost, and organic waste had a higher SOC of 0.560% compared to the unmanaged areas, which had an SOC of 0.350%. Moreover, the soil electrical conductivity in the managed areas with vermicompost was lower (10.16 dSm-1) than that in the unmanaged areas (13.69 dSm-1), and the soil salinity levels during the rainy season were also reduced. The electrical conductivity (ECa) values at a depth of 0-0.75 m were higher than those at 0-1.5 m, indicating that soil with a high organic carbon content had a lower electrical conductivity. In contrast, soils with low organic carbon content exhibited higher conductivities. In conclusion, the experiment demonstrated that managing saline soil areas with vermicompost and organic waste materials effectively increased soil carbon sequestration and reduced soil electrical conductivity, with more benefits observed during the rainy season than during the dry season.