Forest Soil Quality and Potentials for Food Systems Health in the Takamanda National Park in South Western Cameroon

Abstract

Soil is a basic natural resource for food production, the vast majority of food we consume is either directly or indirectly derived from soil. Soil quality determines the quantity and quality of foods grown. Protecting the soil's physical, chemical and biological integrity is therefore of vital importance in safeguarding global food security. This paper evaluates the physical and chemical properties of soils in the rainforest of the Takamanda in Southwestern Cameroon and their implications on agricultural productivity and food security. Soils were randomly sampled using a bucket soil auger at the left, middle and right flank of the 50 ha Takamanda forest dynamic plot. Soils were sampled from three flanks at depths of 0 -10 cm, 10 -20 cm and 20 -30 cm. Bulk density increased with soil depth in all the flanks. Soil nitrogen, organic carbon, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and cation exchange capacity were greater in topsoil (0 -10 cm) than subsoils. Soil Ca and pH were slightly greater at 20 -30 cm soil depths with value of 0.45 cmol (+)/kg and 4.24 respectively. Soil C/N ratio was highest (13.12) in 10 -20 cm soil depth though it was not significantly different from the other soil depths. To promote food production, an integrated cost-effective approach to soil management should comprise the use of acid-tolerant species of crop plants, efficient use of fertilizers, suitable crop rotations, crop diversification and agroforestry.

The Assessment of Soil Quality and Earthworms as Bioindicators in the Alas Bromo Education Forest, Central Java, Indonesia

“…Foresters usually evaluate a site's potential to support productive forests based on their understanding of the chemical and physical properties of the soil without considering the soil's biological properties [15], [16]. Recent public interest in understanding how management practices affect soil quality, plant productivity, and the sustainability of forest ecosystem functions has increased the need for comprehensive soil quality assessments based on soil properties [17], [76].…”

“…Soil quality evaluation can be a valuable tool for detecting early adverse effects of management practices [21]. It is crucial to assess the impact of forest management practices on the sustainability of forest ecosystem functions [17]. No indicator of forest soil properties is sufficient to describe soil quality because changes in one characteristic will likely affect other properties.…”