The dynamics of soil nutrients in cold desert environments in the north-west Himalayas under a variety of forest types using geographical information system

The amount of nutrients present in the soil is one of the most important factors that decide the overall productivity of an ecosystem as well as the variety of species that live there. The north-west Himalayas, which are home to a dry temperate and alpine forest of cold desert, served as the study location for the present research. The major purpose of the research was to investigate the dynamics of soil nutrients in connection to the structure and content of nine distinct kinds of forest ecosystems that may be found in the area. In each of the chosen forest types, the nutritional condition of the soil was analyzed for two distinct soil depths: the top layer (0–20 cm) and the bottom layer (> 20 cm) (21–40 cm). The different kinds of forest had pH readings that ranged anywhere from 4.81 to 6.82 in their soil. In a birch-rhododendron scrub forest, the levels of available soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, and zinc were found to be at their highest levels. Other soil properties such as organic carbon and electrical conductivity were also found to be at their highest levels in this type of forest as well. When it comes to the creation of forest plantations and artificial regeneration, there is a potential that forest managers may find the information on nutrients and biogeochemicals to be beneficial.