The Comparison of Some Soil Quality Indexes in Different Land uses of Ghareh Aghaj Watershed of Semirom, Isfahan, Iran

Authors: Bahareh Aghasi, Ahmad Jalalian, Naser Honarjoo

Abstract:

Land use change, if not based on proper scientific investigation affects other physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil and leading to increased destruction and erosion. It was imperative to study the effects of changing rangelands to farmlands on some Soil quality indexes. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from the depths of 0-10 and 10-30 centimeter in pasture with good vegetation cover(GP), pasture with medium vegetation cover(MP), abandoned dry land farming(ADF) and degraded dry land farming(DDF) land uses in Ghareh Aghaj watershed of Isfahan province. The results revealed that organic matter(OM), cation exchange capacity(CEC) and available potassium(AK) decreasing in the depth of 0-10 centimeter were 66.6, 38.8 and 70 percent and in the depth of 10-30 centimeter were 58, 61.4 and 83.5 percent respectively in DDF comparison with GP. Concerning to the results, it seems that land use change can decrease soil quality and increase soil degradation and lead in undesirable consequences.

Keywords: Land use change, Soil degradation, Soil quality

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1060635

References:

[1] C. Adolfo Campos, L. Klaudia Oleschko, B. Jorge Etchevers, and M. ClaudiaHidalgo, "Exploring the effect of changes in land use on soil quality on the eastern slope of the Cofre de Perote Volcano ( Mexico)," Forest Ecol Manag., vol. 248, pp. 174- 182, 2007.
[2] A. Akinola, "Effects of soil tillage and managements practice on the physical and chemical properties of soil and maize yield in a rain forest zone of western Nigeria". Agron J., vol. 73, pp. 247- 251, 1981.
[3] L. E. Allison, and C. D. Moodie, "Carbonates," in Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, C. A. Black, D. D. Evans, L. E. Ensminger, J. L. White, and F. C. Clark, Eds. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 1965, pp. 1379- 1396.
[4] A. Amsalu, L. Stroosnijder, and D. Graaf, "Long-term dynamics in land resource use and the driving forces in the Beressa watershed, highlands of Ethiopia," Environ. Man., vol. 83, pp. 448 -459, 2007.
[5] J. P. E. Anderson, "Soil respiration," in Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, Chemical Analysis, R. H. Miller, and D. R. Keeney, Eds. SSSA, Madison, WI, 1982, pp. 831-872.
[6] S. S. Andrews, D. L. Karlen, and C. A. Cambardella, The soil management assessment framework: a quantitative soil quality evaluation methods, SSSA, vol. 68, pp. 1945-1962, 2004.
[7] C. Boix-Fayos, A. Calva, A. C. Imeson, and M. D. Sosino-Sota, "Influence of soil properties on the aggregation of some Mediterranean soils and use of aggregate size and stability as land degradation indicators," Catena, vol. 44, pp. 47-67, 2001.
[8] N. C. Brady, The Nature and Properties of Soils, 8th Ed. Eurasia Publishing House, New Delhi, 1985.
[9] J. M. Bremner, and C. S. Mulvaney, "Nitrogen- Total," in Methods of soil analysis, Part 2, Chemical and microbiological properties, 2nd ed. vol. 9, A. L. Page, R. H. Miller, and D. R. Keeney, Eds. Agron., 1982, pp. 595- 624.
[10] M. R. Carter, S. S. Andrews, and L. E. Drinkwater, "Systems approaches for improving soil quality," in Managing Soil Quality: Challenges in Modern Agriculture, P. Schjonning, S. Elmholt, and B. T. Christensen, Eds. CABI International, Wallingford, UK, 2004, pp. 261-281.
[11] H. D. Chapman, "Total Exchangeable Bases," in Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. C. A. Black, Ed. SSSA, Madison, WI., 1965.
[12] T. Chuluun, and D. Ojima, "Land use change and carbon cycle in arid and semi- arikd land use East and Central Asia," Sci China ( series C), vol. 45, pp. 48- 54, 2002.
[13] J. M. Dorioz, M. Robert, and C. Chen, "The role of roots, fungi and bacteria on clay particle organization. An experimental approach," Geoderma, vol. 56, pp. 179-194, 1993.
[14] F. Dube, E. Zagal, N. Stolpe, and M. Spinosa, "The influence of landuse change on the organic carbon distribution and microbial respiration in a volcanic soil of the Chilean Patagonia," Forest Ecol Manag., vol. 257, pp. 1695- 1704, 2009.
[15] M. A. Hajabbasi, A. Jalalian, H. R. Karimzadeh, and J. Khajedin, "Depasturation effects on physical characteristics, fertility, and tilth index of soil: A case study of Boroojen," Journal of Science and Natural Resources, vol. 6, pp. 161-175, 2002. (In persian)
[16] M. A. Hajabbasi, A. Besalat poor, and A. R. Melali, "Effect of changing pastures to land farming in some physical and chemical properties of sought and west sought soils in Isfahan," Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, vol. 11, pp. 525-534, 2007. (In persian)
[17] IUSS Working Group, World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2006, first update 2007, Rome: World Soil Resources Reports no. 103, FAO, 2007, P. 116.
[18] D. L. Karlen, M. J. Mausbach, J. W. Doran, R. G. Cline, R. F. Harris, and G. E. Schuman, "Soil quality: a concept, definition, and framework for evaluation," Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., vol. 61, pp. 4-10, 1997.
[19] D. L. Karlen, S. S. Andrews, and J. W. Doran, "Soil quality: current concepts and application," Adv. Agronom., vol. 74, pp. 1-40, 2001.
[20] D. L. Karlen, C. A. Ditzler, A. S. Andrews, "Soil quality: why and how?" Geoderma, vol. 114, pp. 145-156, 2003.
[21] M. Kayser, and J. Isselstein, "Potassium cycling and losses in grassland systems: a review," Grass Forage Sci. vol. 60, pp. 213-224, 2005.
[22] H. Khademi, J. Mohammadi, and N. Nael, "Comparison of selected soil quality indicators in different land management systems in Boroojen, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari province," The Scientific Journal Of Agricultue, vol. 29, pp. 111-124, 2006. (In persian)
[23] R. W. Mc Dowell, and A. N. Sharpley, "The effects of soil carbon on phosphorus and sediment loss from soil Trays by overland flow," J. Environ. Qual., vol. 32, pp. 207- 214, 2003.
[24] A. U. Mallik, and D. Hu, "Soil respiration following site preparation treatments in boreal mixedwood forest," Forest Ecol Manag., vol. 97, pp. 265-275, 1997.
[25] M. J. Mausbach, C. A. Seybold, "Assessment of soil quality," in: Soil Quality and Agricultural Sustainability, R. Lal, Ed. Ann Arbor Press,Chelsea, MI, 1998, pp. 33-43.
[26] S. R. Olsen, C. V. Cole, F. S. Watanable, and L. A. Dean, Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate, USDA Circular 939, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC., 1954.
[27] J. W. Rhoades, "Cation Exchange Capacity," in: Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2, Page, A. L. Ed. Am. Soc. Agron., 1986, pp: 149- 158.
[28] S. M. Ross, "Organic matter in tropical soils: current conditions, concerns and prospects for conservation," Prog Phys Geog., vol. 17, pp. 265-305, 1993.
[29] M. Sanchez- Maranon, M. Soriano, G. Delgado, and R. Delgado, "Soil quality in Mediterranean mountain environments: Effects of land use change," Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., vol. 66, pp. 948- 958, 2002.
[30] I. Shainberg, J. D. Rhoades, and R. J. Prather, "Effect of mineral weathering on clay dispersion and hydraulic conductivity of sodic soils," Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., vol. 45, pp. 273- 277, 1981.
[31] Soil Survey Staff, Keys to soil taxonomy, 11th ed., Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural resources Conservation Service, 2010, 338 p.
[32] P. W. Unger, "Management-induced aggregation and organic carbon concentrations in the surface layer of a Torrertic Paleustoll," Soil Till Res., vol. 42, pp. 185-208, 1997.
[33] USDA-ERS, Agricultural resources and environmental indicators 1996-1997. in: Agric. Handb. 712, U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC., 1997.
[34] C. H. M. Van bavel, Mean weight diameter of soil aggregates as a statistical index of aggregation, vol. 14, SSSA Proc., 1950, pp. 20- 23.
[35] A. Walkley, and I. A Black, "An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method," Soil Sci.,, vol. 37, pp. 29-38, 1934.
[36] Y. Wang, X. Zhang, and C. Huang, "Spatial variability of soil total nitrogen and soil total phosphorus under different land uses in a small watershed on the Loess Plateau, China," Geoderma, vol. 150, pp. 141- 149, 2009.
[37] J. S. P. Yadav, and I. K. Girdhar, "The effect of different magnesiumcalcium ratios and sodium adsorption values of leaching water on the properties of calcareous soils versus non- calcareous soils," Soil Sci., vol. 131, pp. 194- 198, 1981.