Impacts of land‐use intensity on soil organic carbon content, soil structure and water‐holding capacity

Abstract

The impact of land‐use intensity is evaluated through changes in the soil properties in different areas of the traditional central Spanish landscape. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content, bulk density, aggregate stability and water‐holding capacity (WHC) in the topsoil of active and abandoned vineyards, livestock routes (LR) and young Quercus afforested areas were analysed. These different types of land use can be interpreted as having a gradient of progressively less impact on soil functions or conservation. As soil use intensity declines, there is an increase in SOC content (from 0.2 to 0.6%), WHC (from 0.2 to 0.3 g H2O per g soil) and aggregate stability (from 4 to 33 drop impacts). Soils beneath vines have lost their upper horizon (15 cm depth) because of centuries‐old tillage management of vineyards. Except for an increase in bulk density (from 1.2 to 1.4 g/cm3), there were no differences in soil characteristics 4 yr after the abandonment of vine management. LR can be considered sustainable uses of land, which preserve or improve soil characteristics, as there were no significant differences between topsoil from LR and that from a 40‐yr‐old Quercus afforested area. SOC content, one of the main indicators for soil conservation, is considered very low in every case analysed, even in the more conservative uses of land. These data can be useful in understanding the slow rate of recovery of soils, even after long‐term cessation of agricultural land use.

Cropland soil organic matter content change inNortheast China, 1985-2005

“…are found decreasing gradually from the northeast to the southwest of China. The major driving forces for this NE-SW gradient are, among others, climate [36], land use change [37] and soil management [38]. Firstly, temperature is a key factor controlling the rate of decomposition of organic materials in soil [39].…”

“…Thirdly, management plays an important role in maintaining SOM levels in agro-ecosystems [42]. Although soiluse duration and intensity have a strong impact on SOM content [37,46], proper management can substantially improve cropland SOM content under intensive farming. Long-term experiments conducted in Gongzhuling [30] in Jilin province and Hailun [28] in Heilongjiang province show that the dual goal of optimal crop yield and higher SOM content can be simultaneously met by fine-tuned application of mineral fertilizers, farmyard manures and crop residues according to nutrient requirements.…”

Soil Degradation and Soil Quality in Western Europe: Current Situation and Future Perspectives

“…When the abandoned farmland comprises terraced areas, this trend can be reversed, as small-scale landslides and erosion may increase as terraces collapse [101,102]. Slow recovery of soil properties has been noted in abandoned vineyard soils in semi-arid Spain and attributed to intense soil degradation under the vines [103]. In the Alps, small differences have been observed in the soil biological properties of abandoned land and organically fertilized meadows and grasslands [104].…”

The use of multivariate statistical analysis and soil quality indices as tools to be included in regional management plans. A case study from the Mashhad Plain, Iran

“…In our study area, OC and BD were the soil properties with the highest variability at the pedon scale. In semiarid areas with strong human impacts due to cultivation, livestock or abandonment, the distribution of soil properties changes across the landscape and with depth (Acín-Carrera et al, 2013;Pulido et al, 2017). In most natural soils, OC is higher in the topsoil layers and decreases with depth, but in agricultural areas, the spatiotemporal variability can be very high and can affect plant vigour (Novara et al, 2018).…”

“…Results have demonstrated that some well-known chemical and physical properties have significant correlations. For example, soil texture has a high correlation with cation-exchange capacity (CEC), aggregate stability and soil water content (Khaledian et al, 2017a;Mamedov et al, 2017); soil organic carbon (SOC) is also well-correlated with aggregate stability, soil nutrients and biodiversity (Acín-Carrera et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016); and bulk density (BD) with electrical conductivity (EC), clay content and soil porosity (Nasri et al, 2015). Heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu are widely used as soil quality indicators because of their effect on soil fertility and corresponding plant responses (Pezeshki and DeLaune, 2012;Sparrow and Uren, 2014;Tao et al, 2007).…”