A hilly catchment (4 km2) was selected to quantify the changes in physico‐chemical soil properties when traditional shifting cultivation is converted to sedentary swidden cultivation (elements of slash and burn cultivation with short fallow period), locally called bun (cropping in rows of raised beds formed from soil), in the central part of the Meghalaya Plateau. Assuming that the monsoonal climate, deep‐weathered granites, and time are relatively uniform over the small catchment, the differences in soil were compared on two contrasting landforms (flat ridges and steep slopes) and three land use types (natural deciduous forest, sedentary swidden cultivation of potatoes, and fallow land with pine forest) within each landform. In contrast to previous studies in region, soil fertility indices calculated in the present study indicated that the bun system can also improve soil quality. Soil response significantly varied at spatial scales, however, and in terms of the possibility of continuing sustainable cultivation in the future. At a local scale on flat terrain upon granites, soil under swidden cultivation had the higher fertility indices, than fallow land and natural forest, whereas steep slope cultivated soil had the lowest fertility indices, following fallow land and natural forest. Therefore, bun system can be efficient in tropical regions with gentle terrain and limited forest resources. At a regional scale, low potato yield combined with a growing food demand forces farmers to expand potato cultivation on steep slopes, the dominant landform in the Meghalaya, increasing the risk of soil degradation. Introducing agroforestry with pine trees into bun cultivation can mitigate the rates of soil degradation on steep slopes.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of litterfall as a link in biogeochemical cycling of certain elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) in silver birch stands growing on post-arable soils under temperate climatic conditions (Poland). The study covered three stands on sandy soils (21, 29, and 40 years old) and three on loamy soils (15, 33, and 41 years old). Litterfall was collected during 2020–2021 and analysed using standard procedures. Elemental contents were determined also in green leaves collected from the tree crowns in early summer to determine intensity of retranslocation. The total litterfall production varied from 2576 to 5293 kg ha−1, depending on the stand and year. These values are typical of temperate forests. Litterfall production was positively correlated with stand age. Leaves made up the major fraction, followed by twigs. Silver birch litterfall was generally rich in nutrients compared to many other tree species typical for temperate climatic zone. Nutrient fluxes to the soil were in the upper limits reported in the literature. It may partially be an effect of the post-arable history of these stands. Large fluxes of nutrients to the soil via litterfall are important in the context of the high nutritional demands of the studied tree species. This study also showed that silver birch strongly retranslocates N, P, and K from senescing leaves, whereas Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn are accumulated in these organs.