Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential of Analog Forests in Comparison to Tea Plantation Areas of Up Country Intermediate Zone of Sri Lanka

Carbon sequestration can be used to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, thereby mitigating climate-change implications. Land-use changes determine the soil's ability to sequester and store carbon. This study aims to assess the soil organic carbon stock between the analog forest system and the cultivated tea area. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 10 cm, representing topsoil and 0 to 30 cm representing the subsoil. Analysis of the Variation (ANOVA) was used to compare the soil quality parameters of land-use types at two depths levels. Soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) was   calculated for each sample location in the analog forest, and the SOCS was spatially predicted for other areas  in   the  analog forest using the Arc GIS 10.7.1 software. The study results revealed that analog forest systems have higher below-ground carbon fixation potential than monoculture systems. According to the statistical analysis, the amount of SOCS was 13 % higher in analog forests (33.95 Mg/ha > 29.93 Mg/ha). The application of the general linear model confirmed that both land use and soil depths are the significant driving forces of SOCS (P < 0.05).