Comparative Assessment of Carbon Sequestration Capability in Plant and Soil of Three Dominant Halophytic Species, Including Aeluropus littoralis, Halocnemum strobilaceum, and Seidlitzia rosmarinus in Fars Province

Aims In the present work, carbon sequestration in different organs of 3 dominant halophytes of saltlands (A. littoralis, H. strobilaceum, and S. rosmarinus) as well as soil carbon sequestration of the corresponding habitats were examined. Materials & Methods The aboveground and belowground organs of 3 halophyte species were randomly sampled and oven dried. Three soil samples were taken from 0-0.15 and 0.15-0.3 m soil depths (SD). From these, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil texture (sand, silt, and clay), bulk density (BD), moisture content (MC), electrical conductivity (EC), and soil acidity (pH) were measured. Findings All of the tested halophytes had more carbon sequestration in the aboveground rather than belowground organs. The highest value of carbon sequestration was observed in S. rosmarinus, which was about 18% and 90% more than the reported values of H. strobilaceum and A. littoralis, respectively. Soil with S. rosmarinus presented significantly greater content of organic carbon (1.5%) compared with H. strobilaceum (0.64%) and A. littoralis (0.63%), respectively. The results confirmed that soil top layer (0-0.15m) of patch area had more capability to sequester carbon (1.81%) in S. rosmarinus habitat compared with the other species. Conclusion All the tested plants had higher carbon sequestration in the aboveground organs compared with the belowground parts. The leaves had presented the lowest value compared with shoots and roots. The soil organic carbon of the species habitat varied from 0.63 (A. Littoralis) to 1.5% (H. strobilaceum). Moreover, with increasing the soil depth, carbon sequestration of the underlying soil layers decreased.