<p>Massive deforestation and the extensive conversion of land for agriculture have caused severe soil degradation in mountainous regions. Soil carbon and nitrogen are critical for maintaining soil quality, yet there is limited understanding of their dynamics and quantitative changes under different land use patterns in these areas. To address this gap, carbon and nitrogen dynamics under different land uses in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India were studied with different amendments. Soil samples were collected from agricultural land (AL), undisturbed grassland (UL), and forest land (FL). Wood ash (WA), rice husk (RH), cow dung (CW), and a mixture of all three amendments (MA) in a 1:1:1 ratio were applied to the collected soils at a rate of 11.2&#xa0;g kg⁻¹ soil (25 Mg ha⁻¹) and incubated at 28&#xa0;°C for 60 days. Soil respiration, total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), mineralized nitrogen (MN), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were assessed at various time intervals. The study further examined the the carbon sequestration potential of soils under different land-use patterns and soil management practices. We found the carbon sequestration potential was highest in AL, followed by UL and FL. Among the amendments, the order of carbon sequestration potential was WA &gt; RH= CW &gt; MA. An inverse trend in C mineralization (CO₂ evolution) and MBC was observed across the different land uses. Importantly, the C mineralization was led by MA following CW = RH &gt; WA. Furthermore, net nitrogen mineralization was 9.7% higher in AL than in UL and FL. For amendments, MA resulted in higher mineral N, followed by CW. The effects of amendments were found to have a more significant influence on soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization, as well as carbon sequestration potential, than land use practices. Therefore, the application of WA in AL could be advantageous for improving soil health management and promoting environmental sustainability in hilly regions.</p>