Fertility of tropical soils under different land use systems-a case study of soils in Tabasco, Mexico
Increasing deforestation in Mexico in the past 40 years has led to significant land use changes. It is important to establish land use systems that allow for the necessities of an increasing population and the conservation of soil fertility in the long term. In this study, we investigated the influence of different land use forms on soil fertility in Tabasco, SE Mexico. We chose two different commonly used pastures (Cynodon plectostachyus and Brachiaria decumbens) and a succession forest. We characterised soil fertility by physico-chemical parameters (texture, density, pH, P, Corg., Ntot., cation exchange capacity (CEC)) as well as by biological parameters, such as litter decomposition, microbial biomass and earthworm community. To estimate litter decomposition we used leaves of Gliricidia sepium, a common fodder tree in the region. The three land use systems had very similar soil chemical characteristics. All three can be characterised as acidic (pH between 4.1 and 5.3) with a high content of organic matter and total nitrogen. However, the three land use systems differed significantly with respect to their soil biological characteristics.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Fertilidad del suelo, Análisis de suelos, Pastos, Lombrices de tierra, Conservación de suelos, Artfrosur, |
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