Amazonian Dark Earths in Bolivia? A soil study of anthropogenic ring ditches near Baures (eastern Llanos de Mojos)

Hastik, Richard; Geitner, Clemens; Neuburger, Martina

doi:10.3112/erdkunde.2013.02.03

Cited by 7 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Interestingly, in La Chonta P and Ca concentrations were only 2.6 and 1.6 times higher in ADE compared to non-ADE soils, respectively. Similar results have been found in other regions of the Bolivian Amazon (Hastik et al 2013). These smaller differences between ADE and non-ADE are likely the result of higher background soil fertility levels in the study site.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Amazonian Dark Earth Shapes the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) are the result of human modification of the Amazonian landscape since pre-Columbian times. ADE are characterized by increased soil fertility compared to natural soils. In the Amazonian forest, soil fertility influences understory herb and fern species composition. However, little research has been done to evaluate the effect of ADE on the composition of the understory community. We evaluated the effects of ADE and soil in 36 plots (150 m 9 4 m) established in a Bolivian moist forest (La Chonta). For each plot, we determined soil nutrients, and the composition, richness, and abundance of terrestrial fern, angiosperm herb, and understory palm species. We found that the presence of ADE created a gradient in soil nutrients and pH that affected the understory species composition especially of ferns and palms. Additionally, the higher nutrient concentration and more neutral soil pH on ADE soils caused a decrease of ferns species richness. We therefore conclude that the current composition of the understory community in this particular Bolivian forest is a reflection of past human modifications of the soil.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Similar results have been found in other regions of the Bolivian Amazon (Hastik et al . ). These smaller differences between ADE and non‐ADE are likely the result of higher background soil fertility levels in the study site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Amazonian Dark Earth Shapes the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our respondents showed little interest in increasing manioc yields and seemed more concerned in preserving a variety of landraces to satisfy their culinary traditions, thereby maintaining what they deem to be a good quality of life. Our findings match those of Hastik et al [47] who also found no preference for the use of anthropogenic soils in an Amazonian region with low land use pressure. The favoring of a soil-manioc specificity might be an important aspect in Amazonian societies that are more integrated in the market and more interested in cultivating manioc as a cash crop, showing a proclivity to select specific soils such ADE in order to improve yields as in the case of caboclos from the Madeira River [9].…”

Section: Sources Of Manioc Variability Among Communitiessupporting

confidence: 92%

Differences in Manioc Diversity Among Five Ethnic Groups of the Colombian Amazon

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:Manioc is an important root crop in the tropics and the most important staple food in the Amazon. Manioc is diverse but its diversity has not yet been clearly associated with environmental or social factors. Our study evaluates how variation in edaphic environments and in social factors influences manioc diversity among five ethnic groups of the Amazon region of Colombia. Inventories of landraces, genetic analysis of manioc diversity, visits to farmers' swiddens and interviews with farmers were carried out during two years of field work. Morphotypic and genotypic diversity of manioc were large. The different ethnic groups of our study cultivate different sweet and bitter manioc landraces which they select and maintain in accordance with their ancestral rules and norms. Differences in available environments among indigenous communities (such as the presence of different soils) did not markedly affect manioc morphotypic or genotypic diversity, while social factors considerably influenced observed manioc diversity. Manioc diversity was explained by two parallel processes of manioc diversification: volunteer seedling selection and manioc seed OPEN ACCESS Diversity 2014, 6 793 exchange. We argue that, for a full understanding of manioc diversity, indigenous knowledge, as well as morphological and genetic variation should be taken into account.

show abstract

“…Considering the perspectives presented for the LF imaging, we used here this approach in an attempt to assess the remarkable fertility capacities of Amazonian soil "Terra Mulata de Índio" (TMI), by imaging the soil particles ex-situ. It is known that this anthropogenic soil (i.e., Anthrosol) presents a sustained fertility in determined rims and is characterized by a high concentration of stable organic matter, phosphorus, calcium and contains the presence of potsherds (Hastik et al, 2013;Taube et al, 2013). However, there is no precise information on the PSDs of Amazonian Anthrosols.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological analysis of soil particles at multiple length-scale reveals nutrient stocks of Amazonian Anthrosols

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We have imaged the particles of Brazilian soils at multiple length scales, from a few microns to millimeters, and soil particle size distributions were calculated with unmatched precision. The analysis included the Amazonian soil "Terra Mulata de Índio" (TMI), an anthropogenic soil (Anthrosol) with sustained fertility and a large amount of stabilized organic matter. Firstly, the soils were imaged ex situ, without any chemical processing, with sequential electron scanning of the pelletized soil samples, covering a total area of 8 × 8 mm. Secondly, it was performed a computational analysis of the large-field X-ray images assembled from hundreds of adjacent elemental maps, thus resulting in high-definition images (4800 × 4800 pixels). This analytical approach provides a large sampling with the identification of > 10,000 particles over the scanned area. The particles identified consisted of Al, C, Ca, Cr, F, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, O, P, S, Si and Ti. A significantly larger concentration of C-, Ca-and P-based particles, of up to 100 μm 2 of cross-section area, was found in TMI samples in comparison with oxisol and ultisol soils. While the mean distance between neighboring C, Ca and P particles in TMI was of 40-70 μm, the value was of hundreds of microns in oxisol and ultisol. Furthermore, mapping of micrometric carbon particles by Raman spectroscopy indicated that they have a graphitic structure with a large amount of defects, partially associated with particle oxidation, although a well-preserved sp 2 graphitic structure is also present. From a technological perspective, improved soil amendments, such as biochar, can be rationally designed from the "fingerprint" described here for soil particles of Amazonian Anthrosols (i.e., morphological and structural characteristics), which can result in an increase in fertility and the optimization of carbon sequestration in the future.

show abstract

Amazonian Dark Earths in Bolivia? A soil study of anthropogenic ring ditches near Baures (eastern Llanos de Mojos)

Cited by 7 publications

References 28 publications

Amazonian Dark Earth Shapes the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest

Amazonian Dark Earth Shapes the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest

Differences in Manioc Diversity Among Five Ethnic Groups of the Colombian Amazon

Morphological analysis of soil particles at multiple length-scale reveals nutrient stocks of Amazonian Anthrosols

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About