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<p>Soil nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems are governed by complex interactions among vegetation cover, pedogenic gradients, and landscape-scale heterogeneity, yet depth-explicit assessments across contrasting land covers remain scarce in semi-arid alluvial systems. This study presents the first regional-scale, depth-stratified (0-30, 30-60, and 60-90&#xa0;cm) assessment of twelve soil physicochemical parameters across Non-Degraded Forest and Degraded Forest land covers in the forests of Punjab and Chandigarh, northwestern India. A total of 954 soil samples from 318 locations were analysed, and linear mixed-effects modelling (LMEM) was employed to partition variance among spatial hierarchy, soil depth, and land-cover type. Soil pH ranged from 6.82 (Dasuya) to 8.76 (Ferozepur), and organic carbon from 0.27% to 1.11%, with the highest values in sub-montane northern divisions. Variance partitioning revealed that spatial hierarchy (Division/Grid random effects) accounted for the largest share of total variance (29–75%), followed by soil depth, which significantly structured organic carbon (15.23%), nitrogen (7.54%), and several micronutrients; land-cover effects were comparatively minor (0.13–2.70%). Soil depth significantly influenced pH, organic carbon (OC), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and boron (B) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), while land cover significantly affected only pH and copper. Depth-stratified Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong pH-Fe (<i>r</i> = -0.42 to -0.63) and pH-Mn (<i>r</i> = -0.43 to -0.60) antagonisms across all profiles, confirming alkalinity-driven micronutrient immobilisation characteristic of calcareous soils. Micronutrient inter-linkages (Mn-Fe, Fe-Cu) were strongest in Non-Degraded Forest surface horizons and progressively weakened with depth, with Degraded Forest subsoils showing minimal nutrient coupling. These findings demonstrate that landscape-scale pedogenic heterogeneity and vertical biogeochemical gradients exert stronger control over nutrient distribution than categorical vegetation status alone, and underscore the need for depth-explicit soil monitoring frameworks and organic matter conservation strategies in degraded alluvial forest soils of northwestern India.</p>

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Spatial heterogeneity and vertical stratification of soil nutrients in northwestern Indian forests

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月16日

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  • Vivek Chauhan,
  • Parul Bhatt Kotiyal,
  • Shambhu Nath Mishra,
  • Vijender Pal Panwar

摘要

Soil nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems are governed by complex interactions among vegetation cover, pedogenic gradients, and landscape-scale heterogeneity, yet depth-explicit assessments across contrasting land covers remain scarce in semi-arid alluvial systems. This study presents the first regional-scale, depth-stratified (0-30, 30-60, and 60-90 cm) assessment of twelve soil physicochemical parameters across Non-Degraded Forest and Degraded Forest land covers in the forests of Punjab and Chandigarh, northwestern India. A total of 954 soil samples from 318 locations were analysed, and linear mixed-effects modelling (LMEM) was employed to partition variance among spatial hierarchy, soil depth, and land-cover type. Soil pH ranged from 6.82 (Dasuya) to 8.76 (Ferozepur), and organic carbon from 0.27% to 1.11%, with the highest values in sub-montane northern divisions. Variance partitioning revealed that spatial hierarchy (Division/Grid random effects) accounted for the largest share of total variance (29–75%), followed by soil depth, which significantly structured organic carbon (15.23%), nitrogen (7.54%), and several micronutrients; land-cover effects were comparatively minor (0.13–2.70%). Soil depth significantly influenced pH, organic carbon (OC), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and boron (B) (p < 0.001), while land cover significantly affected only pH and copper. Depth-stratified Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong pH-Fe (r = -0.42 to -0.63) and pH-Mn (r = -0.43 to -0.60) antagonisms across all profiles, confirming alkalinity-driven micronutrient immobilisation characteristic of calcareous soils. Micronutrient inter-linkages (Mn-Fe, Fe-Cu) were strongest in Non-Degraded Forest surface horizons and progressively weakened with depth, with Degraded Forest subsoils showing minimal nutrient coupling. These findings demonstrate that landscape-scale pedogenic heterogeneity and vertical biogeochemical gradients exert stronger control over nutrient distribution than categorical vegetation status alone, and underscore the need for depth-explicit soil monitoring frameworks and organic matter conservation strategies in degraded alluvial forest soils of northwestern India.