Slow restoration of soil microbial functions in an Acacia plantation established on degraded land in Thailand

Abstract

Deforestation diminishes the ecological services that a forest provides (e.g., flood prevention). To restore such services, reforestation is often utilized. The full restoration of the original forest ecosystem, however, can take several decades. The present study was conducted to identify the missing key components for rehabilitation of a degraded plot of land in Thailand on which Acacia trees were planted 18 or 19 years ago. Canopy spectral and soil physicochemical profiles of the Acacia plantation plot showed more advanced rehabilitation than in the soil microbial functions, as represented by soil dehydrogenase activity and community-level physiological profiles, when compared with those of a natural evergreen forest. The slower restoration of the soil microbial functions was thought to: (1) be attributed to the loss of certain microbes that played important roles in the evergreen forest soil, and (2) restrict the restoration of the entire forest ecosystem which was found to be still progressing towards a full restoration of the land's original conditions. Finally, possible measures for further rehabilitation of the ecosystem were discussed.

From Maximization to Optimization: A Paradigm Shift in Rice Production in Thailand to Improve Overall Quality of Life of Stakeholders

“…Earthworms may also work with soil bacteria to oxidize toxic methane (CH 4 ) to the less toxic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) [ 40 ]. These ecosystem services are certainly beneficial for roots in the paddy soil and consequently for rice production [ 41 ].…”

Different landscape effects on the genetic structure of two broadly distributed woody legumes, Acacia salicina and A. stenophylla (Fabaceae)

“…Restoration using Acacia species primarily occurs within regions where fragmentation of native vegetation is extensive (Doi & Ranamukhaarachchi, 2013;Jeddi & Chaieb, 2012). Fragmentation of large and continuous vegetation results in smaller, more isolated populations, often with lower genetic diversity, an increased risk of further genetic loss through drift and elevated inbreeding (Aguilar et al, 2006(Aguilar et al, , 2008Hamrick, 2004;Young et al, 1996).…”

Conifer tree plantations for land rehabilitation: an ecological‐functional evaluation

“…Several studies have evaluated the ecological effects of fast‐growing and exotic tree plantations. Most have focused on examining the structure and diversity of native vegetation (Lee et al ; Abelleira et al ; Meers et al ) while considering soil properties and processes (Lemenih & Teketay ; Ruiz‐Navarro et al ; Cuesta et al ; Doi & Ranamukhaarachchi ; Ramírez et al ). The indicators used to evaluate the current conditions of an ecosystem and the success of ecological rehabilitation efforts have been grouped into the following dimensions (SER ): richness of vegetation, structure of vegetation, and soil ecological processes.…”