Affiliation:
1. School of Environment and Natural Resources Doon University Dehradun India
2. Bhomya Foundation, Monal Enclave Dehradun India
3. Department of Population Management, Capture and Rehabilitation Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun India
4. Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA) Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay Mumbai India
5. Department of Environmental Science GITAM Deemed to be University Visakhapatnam India
6. Department of Forestry and Remote Sensing Earthtree Enviro Private Limited Shillong Meghalaya India
Abstract
ABSTRACTDisparities in pH, conductivity, organic carbon (OC), nutrients, and moisture between the Asan Wetland and its periphery in the Western Himalaya, India, highlight the need to investigate influencing factors. This study thus addresses two gaps: (1) identifying key drivers for alkaline pH and elevated wetland concentrations and (2) understanding how different values outside the wetland relate to ecological processes. Asan Wetland soil samples, collected on April 15, 2023, underwent analysis for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), available nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), moisture content (M), total organic carbon (TOC), and total organic matter (TOM) using standard laboratory procedures, APHA, CPCB, and standard manual techniques. Within the wetland, results indicated that the soil is more alkaline (pH 8.50 ± 0.13) than the periphery in the concentrations of EC, N, K, and M were found to be higher compared to the corresponding concentrations outside the wetland, with mean values of 1.10 ± 0.15 ds/m, 364 ± 117.13 kg/ha, 86.42 ± 21.64 kg/ha, and 20.87 ± 1.50%, respectively. Conversely, outside the wetland, higher values of OC, OM, P, Na, Ca, TOC, and TOM were recorded (0.39 ± 0.23%, 0.66 ± 0.39%, 0.82 ± 0.35 ppm, 80.45 ± 8.46 ppm, 268.12 ± 61.12 ppm, 56.80 ± 0.33%, and 97.70 ± 0.57%, respectively). pH, EC, K, Ca, Na, and moisture content variations indicate location‐based differences. pH, TOM, TOC, and soil moisture were positively correlated within wetlands but negatively correlated with Na and N. In addition, moisture was positively correlated with pH and N but negatively correlated with Ca, K, Na, and P. The study concluded that the Asan Wetland exhibits distinct soil characteristics compared to its periphery, exhibiting location‐based differences while emphasizing these factors' interconnectedness.