Soil functional traits, nutrient dynamics, and enzyme activities across land-use systems during pre- and post-monsoon seasons in Parvati Valley, Western Himalaya (2022–2024)
Description
In the Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya, India, this dataset offers a thorough, multi-year assessment of soil functional characteristics, nutrient dynamics, and enzymatic activity across several land-use systems. During the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of three consecutive years (2022–2024), soil samples were taken from nine fixed sampling sites (S1–S9) situated along an elevation gradient. Key soil physicochemical characteristics (pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, and organic carbon), nutrient parameters (total and available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), and soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase) are included in the dataset. Together, these characteristics reflect soil fertility and biological functioning in Himalayan agro-ecosystems. The statistical significance between locations, seasons, land-use types, and elevations is indicated by superscript letters derived from post-hoc comparisons. All data are presented as mean values ± standard error (SE). The primary impacts of land use, season, elevation, and site, as well as their two- and three-way interactions, were evaluated independently for each study year using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). For physicochemical and nutritional evaluations, standard soil sampling and analytical procedures were used, and established colorimetric and incubation-based techniques were used to measure enzyme activity. In the context of monsoon-driven environmental variability in the Western Himalaya, this dataset has significant potential for reuse in soil health assessment, land-use change studies, climate-sensitive soil research, and comparative analyses of nutrient cycling and microbial functioning in mountain ecosystems.
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Steps to reproduce
During the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of three consecutive years (2022–2024), soil samples were taken from nine fixed sites (S1–S9) in the Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh, that reflect various land-use patterns along an elevation gradient. Composite soil samples were taken at a consistent depth at each location, air-dried, sieved, and subjected to normal soil analytical procedures. Standard laboratory techniques were used to quantify the physicochemical characteristics of the soil (pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, and organic carbon), and standard wet-chemical methods were used to determine the total and accessible forms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Using incubation-based colorimetric techniques, enzymatic tests for dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase activities were used to evaluate the biological functioning of the soil. Replicated samples were used to express all parameters as mean ± standard error. The impacts of land use, season, elevation, and site, as well as their interaction effects, were assessed independently for each year using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Institutions
- Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development