Soil Organic Carbon Stock and Sequestration Potential in Southern Guinea Savanna Ecological Zone, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2025.07.01.029Keywords:
Climate Change, Mitigation, Soil Organic Carbon, Sequestration, SavannaAbstract
Carbon sequestration in soils has a huge potential to decrease the rate of CO2 emission to the atmosphere. However, little is known about Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock and fluxes in savannas. This study quantified the SOC of major plant communities in the southern guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria to determine their carbon sequestration potential for climate change mitigation. Field and laboratory procedures were employed to estimate carbon stock. Soil samples were collected by resampling from 40 permanent sampling plots for the years 2013, 2017, and 2021, respectively. Eighty composite soil samples were taken at two depths (0-15cm and 15-30cm). SOC concentration was estimated in the laboratory using the wet-oxidation Walkley-Black method. Findings revealed that between 2013 and 2021, the mean bulk density at 0–15 cm increased from 1.29 to 1.38 g cm-3, while at 15-30cm depth ranged from 1.30 to 1.36 g cm-3, signifying an increasing trend of soil compaction. Conversely, the mean SOC at 0–15 cm decreased from 20.11 to 14.06 Mg ha-1 while 15-30cm ranged from 15.84 to 11.92 Mg ha-1, implying carbon loss. The mean SOC concentration was mostly higher in the 0-15 cm layer than in the 15-30 cm layer. Savanna Woodland recorded the highest SOC (23.41 Mg ha-1) in 2013, while the Recent fallow land recorded the lowest (7.25 Mg ha-1) in 2021. Between 2013 and 2021, carbon emissions occurred at an annual loss rate of 8.87 Mg ha-1 yr-1. It was concluded that the restoration of the various plant communities has the potential to sequester about 79.84 Mg ha-1 of SOC at an annual rate of 8.87 Mg ha-1, which will provide effective climate change mitigation. This study recommends sustainable management practices for soil carbon sequestration, such as forest protection, fire management, afforestation, the use of organic fertilizers, and soil amendments.
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