Rodenburg, Jonne ORCID: 0000-0001-9059-9253, Stein, Alfred, van Noordwijk, Meine and Ketterings, Quirine M. (2003) Spatial variability of soil pH and phosphorus in relation to soil run-off following slash-and-burn land clearing in Sumatra, Indonesia. Soil and Tillage Research, 71 (1). pp. 1-14. ISSN 0167-1987 (Print), 1879-3444 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-1987(02)00141-1)

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Abstract

Slash-and-burn land clearing on sloping land may lead to increased soil run-off following disappearance of the protective vegetative cover. In turn, soil run-off and redeposition affects soil fertility and spatial patterns of fertility parameters in a field. This study seeks to clarify the role of spatial patterns of post-burn dead biomass (necromass) in soil run-off and redeposition and their combined effect on spatial patterns in soil pH and resin-extractable P. The study is carried out on a post-productive rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) agroforest in Sumatra, Indonesia. Soils are classified as Dystric Fluvisols. After slash-and-burn of vegetation, the field was planted with rubber seedlings and rice (Oryza sativa). For comparison the adjacent rubber agroforest site was sampled. Soil run-off is expressed here as the quantity of downward moving soil that passed the specific location of a flow trap. Existing physical soil run-off barriers and crop performance were scored. Despite serious soil run-off from the steeper upper slopes little soil was actually lost because of the slope form of the field, presence of natural soil run-off barriers, and the planted crop. Spatial variability of soil pH decreased at the expense of small-scale, within-strata, variability mainly because of the patchy distribution of soil run-off barriers. Soil run-off, aggravated by slash-and-burn, did not result in development of a clear soil fertility gradient down slope. In areas of high soil run-off potential, clear burns should be avoided because soil run-off barriers like remnants of slash-and-burn and surface litter maintain the soil and its fertility.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	slash-and-burn, tropical rainforest, Indonesia, rubber, rice, soil fertility
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Agriculture, Health & Environment Department Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Ecosystem Services Research Group
Last Modified:	20 Feb 2019 12:52
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/19072

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