Forest clearance: impact of landuse change on fertility status of soils from the São Francisco area of Niterói, Brazil
✍ Scribed by J. J. McAlister; B. J. Smith; B. Sanchez
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 352 KB
- Volume
- 9
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1085-3278
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Soil samples were collected from topsoil and subsoil beneath secondary coastal rainforest and from areas which had undergone forest clearance over periods from less than one year to ®ve years. Soils are characterized using total element, particle size and mineralogical analyses and fertility studies examined parameters associated with the exchange complex of the topsoil horizon. Changes in these parameters less than one year after forest clearance are shown as signi®cant increases in pH, organic carbon, available cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K), available P, total N and eective CEC with exchangeable Al being reduced to zero concentration. However, two and ®ve years after clearance, nutrient concentrations decreased to de®cient levels and low pH and organic matter resulted in Al and Mn being potentially toxic to plant growth. Brief reference is made to the Fertility Capability Soil Classi®cation System (FCC) as a means of assessing fertility status.