My very own Carbon Sink
By Rakhi Anil
A connection with nature, an inclination to do the right thing and a hobby has led to something that I did not imagine in my wildest dreams. I am fortunate to have my own home in this city and a small patch of land in the backyard. I refrain from calling it a garden, as it barely counts for one, hence I will call it a backyard. It is close to two decades since I have been living in this house and I have grown multiple things in this backyard over the years such as flowers, fruits, creepers, vegetables, root vegetables etc. Over the last several years, trees have taken over the place and due to the canopy, now it’s almost impossible for anything to grow underneath the trees. I also have several potted plants on the terrace and around the house. The idea of tending to this small patch of land and growing plants did not have any particular noble intentions. It was just a simple wish to grow something of your own and tend to it. What I have realised over the years is that what started as a hobby in my youth has turned into a carbon sink and here I share this story with you.
Composting: In school I had learnt that you dig a hole, throw your wet waste in, cover it with soil and nature turns it into something useful. I did this for several years in my backyard until the rats showed up. Instead of making compost, I was feeding the rats. It had to stop. I got my own Khamba from Dailydump and have been using it for composting ever since. The black soldier fly larva helps in making the compost and the rats still show up sometimes to eat the mature cocoons. Thanks to these flies, I haven’t seen a regular housefly in my house in a really long time. Once the compost is done, I just dump the whole thing under one of the trees or anywhere in the backyard. Modernity has brought in a heightened sense of hygiene, and with it, out went a lot of sensible things that were practiced traditionally. Nothing was considered waste and a use was found for all that nature gave us. With rapid urbanisation, waste needs to be managed. Sending wet waste to landfills generates methane which is more potent than carbon as a greenhouse gas. The same wet waste with aerobic composting sequesters carbon within it.
Mulching: I have Neem, Karipatta, Avocado, Plantain, Drumstick and Custard Apple trees growing in the backyard. Where I thought nothing more could ever grow due to shade and lack of space, I now find Jackfruit and Ramphal saplings trying to make their own space. I also have a dead guava tree in there, which I did not bother to remove. A wise man told me that dead trees help to percolate water to the ground and since then, I haven’t bothered the dead tree at all. The trees shed leaves through the year and maximum shedding is from the Avocado tree. Leaf composters are comparatively expensive so I did not invest in one, so all the leaves just get collected on the ground forming a thick layer of leaves in the backyard. Overtime, this turns to mulch; this mulch apparently protects the soil as well as microbial life. This mulch eventually breaks down into more soil carbon. Leaving soil without any cover leads to carbon and moisture loss and the mulch keeps the soil healthy and keeps the carbon locked in there.
Plants and Trees: During the process of photosynthesis trees and plants capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some of this carbon is sent into the soil and retained in more stable forms with help of microbes. Older plants acquire biomass (trunks and branches) which holds carbon in a more stable form.
Bio-diversity: Though a lot of work is done by the microbes in the soil, they are not visible to the eye. But, there are a lot of insects that are clearly visible such as earthworms, beetles, centipedes, spiders, lizards, bees, bumble bees, praying mantis, dragon flies, ladybugs, butterflies, termites, stinkbugs, wasps, ants etc. These are just some species that I can identify amongst the ecosystem of insects in the backyard. There is also a resident toad that I found living in the dead branch of the drumstick tree and I also see snails in some seasons. I recently found out that the dead guava tree is also the residence of the bumble bees who have made their circular homes in the dead trunk. Scientists say that insect numbers are dwindling rapidly and this may lead to catastrophic results. Though many may find them repelling, I find it interesting that so many of them have set shop in the small space that I have to offer.
For a regular urban dweller the backyard of my home may not seem very attractive and may even be unappealing to the eyes. With leaves strewn all over, compost dumped in places, a few discarded grinding stones randomly placed, the place seems completely uncared for. But, that is how nature intended it to be, you leave it as and it will take care of itself acting as a carbon sink and not complaining.
References:
1. https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/blogs/ghg/4
2. https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/how-can-i-help-my-soil-hold-more-carbon/
3. https://daily.jstor.org/five-steps-to-making-your-garden-a-carbon-sink/
