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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Soil Organic Matter Responses to Anthropogenic Forest Disturbance and Land Use Change in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon
AU - Durigan, Mariana Regina
AU - Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto
AU - de Camargo, Plinio Barbosa
AU - Ferreira, Joice Nunes
AU - Berenguer, Erika
AU - Gardner, Toby Alan
AU - Barlow, Jos
AU - dos Santos Dias, Carlos Tadeu
AU - Signor, Diana
AU - de Oliveira Junior, Raimundo Cosme
AU - Pellegrino Cerri, Carlos Eduardo
PY - 2017/3/7
Y1 - 2017/3/7
N2 - Anthropogenic forest disturbance and land use change (LUC) in the Amazon region is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere in Brazil, due to the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) emitted from vegetation clearance. Land use conversion associated with management practices plays a key role in the distribution and origin of C in different soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. Here, we show how changing land use systems have influenced soil C and N stocks, SOM physical fractions, and the origin of SOM in the Santarem region of the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Soil C and N stocks were calculated for the surface layer of 0-30 cm. Anthropogenic disturbances to the standing forest, such as selective logging and wildfires, led to significant declines in soil C and N stocks. However, in the long-term, the conversion of the Amazon forest to pasture did not have a noticeable effect on soil C and N stocks, presumably because of additional inputs from pasture grasses. However, the conversion to cropland did lead to reductions in soil C and N content. According to the physical fractionation of SOM, LUC altered SOM quality, but silt and clay remained the combined fraction that contributed the most to soil C storage. Our results emphasize the importance of implementing more sustainable forest management systems, whilst also calling further attention to the need for fire monitoring systems, helping to ensure the resilience of C and N stocks and sequestration in forest soils; thereby contributing towards urgently needed ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change.
AB - Anthropogenic forest disturbance and land use change (LUC) in the Amazon region is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere in Brazil, due to the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) emitted from vegetation clearance. Land use conversion associated with management practices plays a key role in the distribution and origin of C in different soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. Here, we show how changing land use systems have influenced soil C and N stocks, SOM physical fractions, and the origin of SOM in the Santarem region of the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Soil C and N stocks were calculated for the surface layer of 0-30 cm. Anthropogenic disturbances to the standing forest, such as selective logging and wildfires, led to significant declines in soil C and N stocks. However, in the long-term, the conversion of the Amazon forest to pasture did not have a noticeable effect on soil C and N stocks, presumably because of additional inputs from pasture grasses. However, the conversion to cropland did lead to reductions in soil C and N content. According to the physical fractionation of SOM, LUC altered SOM quality, but silt and clay remained the combined fraction that contributed the most to soil C storage. Our results emphasize the importance of implementing more sustainable forest management systems, whilst also calling further attention to the need for fire monitoring systems, helping to ensure the resilience of C and N stocks and sequestration in forest soils; thereby contributing towards urgently needed ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change.
KW - tropical forests
KW - pasture
KW - cropland
KW - soil carbon
KW - stable isotopes
KW - SOM physical fractions
KW - HUMID TROPICAL FORESTS
KW - CARBON STOCKS
KW - STABILIZATION MECHANISMS
KW - AGRICULTURAL SOILS
KW - ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
KW - MANAGEMENT
KW - NITROGEN
KW - PASTURE
KW - FRACTIONS
KW - SYSTEMS
U2 - 10.3390/su9030379
DO - 10.3390/su9030379
M3 - Journal article
VL - 9
JO - Sustainability
JF - Sustainability
SN - 2071-1050
IS - 3
M1 - 379
ER -