Soil organic matter fractions under different land uses and soil classes in the Brazilian semi-arid region
Crislâny Canuto dos Santos
A * , Aldair de Souza Medeiros A B , Victor Matheus Ferreira de Araújo C and Stoécio Malta Ferreira Maia C
A Campus of Engineering and Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas (CECA/UFAL),
B Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Biotechnology in the Amazon (Rede Bionorte), Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA),
C Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Alagoas (IFAL) – Campus Marechal Deodoro,
Abstract
Land use change (LUC) is considered one of the main factors associated with soil carbon (C) loss worldwide.
Evaluate changes in labile and non-labile soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in different land use systems – native vegetation (NV), agriculture with conventional cultivation (CC) and pasture (PA) – in five soil classes in the Brazilian semi-arid region.
Soil samples were collected to a depth of 100 cm, and soil C and nitrogen (N) content and stocks were determined and also stocks of labile (LC) and non-labile (NlC) C fractions. In addition, the Carbon Management Index (CMI) was used to evaluate soil health changes.
SOC stocks significantly decreased after conversion from NV to CC (by 23%; 0–30 cm) and PA (by 22%; 0–100 cm). Losses due to LUC were greater in the LC than the NlC fraction, and this was reflected in the CMI reducing by 37% for PA and 57% for CC in the 0–100 cm layer. Regarding the different soil classes, LUC reduced SOC stocks only in the Luvisol, Planosol and Leptosol classes, while in the LC fraction, changes were observed in Acrisols, Cambisols and Planosols.
Clearing NV areas for CC systems and PA reduced the SOC stocks and SOM fractions and, consequently, decreased soil quality.
These findings underscore the importance of considering the quality of SOM when evaluating LUC impacts on SOC stocks in the different classes of soil in the Brazilian semi-arid region.
Keywords: carbon management index, labile carbon, land use effects on soil, semiarid soils, soil health, soil organic carbon, soil taxonomy, tropical dry forest.
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