Evaluation of the Effects of Land Use Change from Forest Areas into Agricultural Lands on Some Chemical Properties of Soil (Case Study: Zarin Abad, Sari, Iran)

Document Type : Full length article

Authors

1 MSc in Soil Science, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Soil Science, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

3 Professor of Soil Science, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

4 Lecturer in Department of Soil Science, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Land use change and its effects on soils is one of the important factors that decrease soil quality. Nowadays because of rapid growth of population, vast forest areas are changed into agricultural lands but chemical properties of the soils are commonly affected by changes in land usage.  Converting the forest areas into agricultural lands is one of the prevalent issues in Iran, especially in north Iran. Nevertheless, relevant studies about the effects of land use change are very limited and lack of enough and suitable studies due to quantifying of these effects is so significant. Because of that, this study was carried out to investigate the impact of changes in usage of forest lands into the dry farming lands (canola) and paddy lands on some chemical properties of soil such as: pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorous and potassium, electrical conductivity and cation exchanging capacity in Zarin Abad area of Sari, in northern Iran.
 
Methodology
In order to study the effects of changes in usage of forest lands (Hyrcanian forest) into the dry farm lands (canola) and paddy lands on some chemical properties of soil in Zarin Abad area of Sari, this research was conducted in factorial design in complete randomized block. The samples of soil from each land use were collected in four replications from 2 depths of 0-20 and 20-50 centimeter. The samples were dried and passed from the 2mm sieve, and then the organic carbon was determined by the method of wet oxidation. Total nitrogen of the soil was measured by Kejeldal method. To calculate the soil available phosphorous, the samples were extracted in two ways: Olson (for measuring available phosphorous in soil samples with pH=7) and Bray-Kortz (for measuring available phosphorous in soil samples with pH=7). Then, the amount of phosphorous in each extraction was determined with Expectrophotometer device. Available potassium was measured by extraction with Ammonium acetate with pH=7 and Flame photometer device. Cation Exchanging Capacity was also determined by Bawer method. To measure the reaction and the electrical conductivity of the soil samples, after making saturation mud, the amount of reaction (pH) was measured by pH meter in each sample. The amount of electrical conductivity after extracting from saturation mud was determined in extractions from each sample by Ec meter. Then, the analysis of data was done after performing normalization test with Colomogrof-Smirnof test in SPSS application. Comparison of the averages of data was done with Duncan test.
 
Results and Discussion
Results showed that land use change from forest lands (Hyrcanian forest) into paddy lands, increased soil reaction from 6.43 to 7.52 but change to dry farming lands (canola) had no significant effect on soil reaction. Land use change from forest lands into dry farm lands caused decrease in the amount of organic carbon about 46.5 percent. This was about 38 percent in paddy lands. The amount of total nitrogen was decreased in land use change from forest usage into dry farm usage but this decrease was not significant in forest lands into paddy lands. Although land use change caused increase about 4 times in the amount of available phosphorus in dry farming lands and increase about 2 times in the areas converted into paddy lands, it had no effects on the amount of available potassium and cation exchanging capacity. The lowest amount of electrical conductivity was observed in dry farming lands. Correlation coefficients between the parameters showed positive and significant correlations between organic carbon with available potassium and electrical conductivity. There were positive correlations between electrical conductivity with the amount of available potassium and soil reaction. The amount of available phosphorus also showed a positive relationship with cation exchanging capacity.
 
Conclusion
Land use change caused transformations in some soil chemical properties and each property affected the values of other properties. Given the ecological importance of  northern forests of Iran, the results of this study showed the necessity of more accuracy and attention to adjust the unfavorable effects of land use change by applying efficient methods of land management in these areas.

Keywords

References

  1. اکبری، ن.ا.، جلالیان، ن. و رضایی‌نژاد، ع. )1390(. «اثرات درازمدت کشت برنج، باغ، تناوب برنج و آیش بر روی کیفیت خاک در سری زاینده‌رود زرین‌شهر اصفهان». دوازدهمین کنگرة علوم خاک ایران. تبریز. 12-14 شهریور.
  2. حاج‌عباسی، م.ع.، بسالت‌پور، ا. و مللی، ا.ر. (1386). «اثر تبدیل مراتع به اراضی کشاورزی بر برخی ویژگی‌های فیزیکی و شیمیایی خاک‌های جنوب و جنوب غربی اصفهان». مجلة تولید و فرآوری محصولات زراعی و باغی. ج11. ش42 (ب). ص525-534.
  3. حق‌نیا، غ.ح. و کوچکی، ع. (1375). مدیریت پایدار خاک. ترجمه. مشهد: انتشارات جهاد دانشگاهی مشهد .
  4. حسینی، م. و گلچین، ا. (1390). «پایداری خاکدانه‌ها در اراضی با کاربری متفاوت و نحوة توزیع کربن آلی و معدنی در خاکدانه‌ها با اندازه‌های متفاوت». دوازدهمین کنگرة علوم خاک ایران. تبریز. 12-14شهریور.
  5. خالدیان، ی.، کیانی، ف.، ابراهیمی، س. و موحدی نایینی، ع. (1390). «تأثیر تخریب جنگل‌ها، تغییر کاربری اراضی و ویلاسازی بر برخی شاخص‌های کیفیت خاک در حوضة زیارت استان گلستان». پژوهش‌هایحفاظتآبوخاک. ج18. ش3. ص 167-184.
  6. خرمالی، ف. و شمسی، س. (1388). «مطالعة کیفیت و میکرومورفولوژی تحول خاک در کاربری‌های مختلف در اراضی شیب‌دار لسی شرق استان گلستان (مطالعة موردی: حوضة قپان)». علومکشاورزیومنابعطبیعی. ج16. ش3.
  7. سالاردینی، ع.ا. (1374). حاصلخیزیخاک. تهران: انتشارات دانشگاه تهران.
  8. شعبان‌زاده، س.، جعفریان، ز.، شکری، م. و کاویان، ع.ا. (1390). «مطالعة برخی خصوصیات فیزیکی و شیمیایی خاک در سه کاربری مجاور هم (مطالعة موردی: منطقة پشرت کیاسر). دوازدهمین کنگرة علوم خاک ایران. تبریز. 12-14 شهریور.
  9. عاکف، م.، محمودی، ش.، کریمیان اقبال، م. و سرمدیان، ف. (1382). «بررسی تغییرات ویژگی‌های فیزیکو شیمیایی و میکرومورفولوژیکی خاک جنگل‌های طبیعی تبدیل‌شده به شالیزارها در منطقة فومنات گیلان». مجلةمنابعطبیعیایران. دورة 56. ش4. ص407-423.
  10. کیانی، ف.، جلالیان، ا.، پاشایی، ع. و خادمی، ح. (1386). «نقش جنگل‌تراشی، قرق و تخریب مراتع بر شاخص‌های کیفیت خاک در اراضی لسی استان گلستان». مجلة علوم آب و خاک- علوم و فنون کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی، س11. ش41 (ب). ص 453-463.
  11. نشریة سازمان آب منطقه‌ای. مطالعات بهنگام‌سازی اطلس منابع آب حوضة آبریز رودخانه‌های مازندران و شرق گیلان، ج3. قسمت 5. بیلان محدودهة ساری- نکا. ص21-22.
  12. نیک‌نهاد قرماخر، ح. و مارامایی، م.ق. (1390). «مطالعة اثرات تغییر کاربری اراضی بر خصوصیات خاک (مطالعة موردی: حوضة آبخیز کچیک)». مدیریت خاک و تولید پایدار. ج1. ش2. ص81-96.
  13. Akbari, N.A., Jalalian, N. and Rezayinejad, A. (2011). "Effect of Long-term Cultivation of Rice, Orchard, Rice and Fallow Rotation on Soil Quality in Zayandeh rood series in Zarrin shahr of Isfahan".12th Congress of Soil Science of Iran. Tabriz. 3-5 september. (In Persian).
  14. Akef, M., Mahmoudi, Sh., Karimian Eghbal, M. and Sarmadian, F. (2003). "Physico-Chemical and Micro-Morphological Changes in Paddy Soils Converted from Forest in Foomanat Region, Gilan". Journal of Iran Natural Resources. Vol. 56. No. 4. pp. 407-423. (In Persian).
  15. Bewket, W. and Stroosnijder, I. (2003). "Effects of agro-ecological land use succession on soil properties in Chemoga Watershed, Blue Nil Basins, Ethiopia". Geoderma. No. 111. pp. 85-95.
  16. Bolan, N.S., Hedley, M.J. and White, R.E. (1991). "Process of soil acidification during nitrogen cycling with emphasis on legume based pasture". Journal of Plant and Soil. No. 134. pp. 53-63.
  17. Bray, R.H., and Kurtz L.T. (1945). "Determination of total, organic and available forms of phosphorus in soils". Soil Science. No. 59. pp. 39-45.
  18. Celik, I. (2005). "Land-use Effects on Organic Matter and Physical Properties of Soil in a Southern Mediterranean Highland of Turkey". Soil Tillage Research. No. 83. pp. 270-277.
  19. Chen ming, L., Geng ling, L., Chen, M. and Liu, G.L. (1994). "Clay mineral composition, siol fertility and surface chemistry characteristics of Quarternary red soils in Southern Hunan province". Scientia Agriculture Sinica. Vol. 24. No. 2. pp. 24-30.
  20. Chibsa, T. and Ta’a, A. (2009)."Assessment of soil organic matter under four land uses ystems, in Bale Highlands, Southeast Ethiopia A. Soil organic matter contents in four Land Use Systems: forestland, grassland, fallow land and cultivated land". World Applied Sciences Journal. Vol. 6. No. 9. pp. 1231-1246.
  21. Dalal, R. and Mayer, R.S. (1986). "Long-term trend in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cropping in southern Queensland.II. Total organic carbon and its loss from thesoil profile". Australian Journal of Soil Research. No. 24. pp. 281-292.
  22. Dang, V.M., Anderson, D.W. and Farrell, r.E. (2002). "Indicators for assessing soil quality after longterm tea cultivation in Northern Mountainous Vietnam". 17th World Congress of Soil Science. Bangkok Thailand. 14-21 August.
  23. Gregorich, E.G., Carter, M.R., Angers, D.A., Monreal, C.M. and Ellert, B.H. (1994). "Towards in a minimum data set to assess soil organic matter quality in agricultural soils". Canadaian Journal Soil Science. No. 75. pp. 367-385.
  24. Gregorich, E.G., Greer, K.L., Anderson, D.W. and Liang, B.C. (1998)."Carbon distribution and losses: erosion and deposition effects". Soil and Tillage Research. No. 4. pp. 291-302.
  25. Haghnia, Gh.H; Kochaki, A. (1996). Sustainable management of soil. Mashhad:Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR). (In Persian).
  26. Hall, T.B., Rosillo-Calle, F., Williams, R.H. and Woods, J. (1993)."Biomass for energysupply prospects". In: Hall, T.B., H. Kelly, A. K. N. Reddy and R. H. Willams, (Eds). Renewable: Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity. Island Press. Washington D.C. pp. 593-651.
  27. Haj-Abbasi, M., Besalatpour, A. and Melali, A. (2008). "Impacts of Converting Rangelands to Cultivated Land on Physical and Chemical Properties of Soils in West and Southwest of Isfahan". Journal of crop production and processing. Vol. 11. No. 42. pp. 525-534. (In Persian).
  28. Hosseini, M. and Golchin, A. (2011). "Aggregate Stability in Lands with Different Usage and Distribution of Organic and Inorganic Carbon in Soil Aggregates with Different Sizes". 12th Congress of Soil Science of Iran. Tabriz. 3-5 september. (In Persian).
  29. Islam, K.R., Kamaluddin, M., Bhuiyan, M.K. and Badruddin, A. (1999)."Comparative performance of exotic and indigenous forest species for tropical semi-evergreen degraded forest land reforestation in Bangladesh". Land Degradation and Development. No. 10. pp. 241-249.
  30. Islam, K.R and Weil, R.R. (2000). "Land use effects on soil quality in a tropical forest ecosystem of Bangladesh". Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment. No. 79. pp. 9-16.
  31. Khaledian, Y., Kiani, F., Ebrahimi, S. and Movahedi Naeini, A. (2011). "Impact of Forest Degradation, Changing Land use and Building villas on some Indicators of Soil Quality in the Watershed, Golestan province". Journal of Water and Soil Conservation. Vol. 18. No. 3. pp. 167-184. (In Persian).
  32. Khormali, F. and Shamsi, S. (2009)."Study of Soil Quality and Micromorphology of Soil Transformation in Different Land uses in Loess Sloping Lands in East of Golestan Province, Case study of Ghpan Area". Journal of Agriculture Science and Natural Resources. Vol. 16. No. 3. (In Persian).
  33. Kiani, F., Jalalian, A., Pashaei, A., and Khademi, H. (2007). "Effect of Deforestation, Grazing exclusion and Rangeland Degradation on Soil Quality Indices in Loess-Derived Landforms of Golestan Province". Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water and Soil Science. Vol. 11. No. 41. pp. 453-464. (In Persian).
  34. Kim, J.K., Jung, Y.T., Son, I.S. and Yun, E.S. (1991). "Evaluation of the physicochemical properties of paddy soils in Yeongnam area". Research Reports of the Rural Development Administration Soil and Fertilizer. No. 33. pp. 38-44.
  35. Lemenih, M., Karltun, M. and Olsson, M. (2005). "Assessing soil chemical and physical property responses to deforestation and subsequent cultivation in smallholders farming system in Ethiopia". Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment. No. 105. pp. 373-386.
  36. Martinez-Mena, M., Lopez, J., Almagro, M., Boix-Fayos, V. and Albaladejo, J. (2008). "Effect of water erosion and cultivation on the soil carbon stock in a semiarid area of south-east spain". Soil and Tillage Research. No. 99. pp. 119-129.
  37. Nael, M., Khademi, H. and. Hajabbasi, M.A. (2004). "Response of soil quality indicators and their spatial variability to land degradation in central Iran". Applied Soil Ecology. No. 27. pp. 221–232.
  38. Niknahad Gharmakher, H. and Maramaei, M. (2011). "Effects of land use changes on soil properties (Case Study: the Kechik catchment)". Journal of Soil Management and Sustainable Production. Vol. 1. No. 2. pp. 81-96. (In Persian).
  39. Olsen, S.R. and Sommers, L.E., (1990). "Phosphorus". In: Page AL (Eds.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 2.2nd ed. Argon. Monogr. 9. A.S.A. Madison. WI. U.S.A., PP. 403-431.
  40. Ponnamperurna, F.N. (1978)."Electrochemical changes in submerged soils and the growth of rice". Soil and Rice. International Rice Research Institute. P.O. Box 933. Manila. pp. 421-439.
  41. Regional Water Organization. "Studies of Updating the Basin Water Resources Atlas of Mazandaran and East of Gilan Rivers". Vol. III. Part V. balance of Sari-Neka.
  42. Salardini, A.A. (1995). Soil Fertility. Tehran: University of Tehran Press. (In Persian).
  43. Sanchez-Maranon, M., Soriano, M., Delgado, G. and Delgado, R. (2002). "Soil quality Mediterranean mountain environments: effects of land use change". Soil Science Society of America Journal. No. 66. pp. 948-958.
  44. Shaban-Zadeh, S., Jafarian, M. and Kavyan, A.A. (2011). "Study of Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil in Three Adjacent Land uses (Case Study: Region Pshrt Kiasar)".12th Congress of Soil Science of Iran. Tabriz. 3-5 September. (In Persian).
  45. Six, J., Paustian, K., Elliott, E.T. and Combrink, C. (2000). "Soil structure and organic matter distribution of aggregate-size classes and aggregate-associated carbon". Soil Science Society of America Journal. No. 64. pp. 681–689.
  46. Solomon, D., Lehman, J., Mamo, T., Fritzsche, F. and Zech, W. (2002). "Phosphorus forms and dynamics as influenced by land use changes in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands". Geoderma. No. 50. pp. 21-48.
  47. Tejada, M. and Gonzalez, J.L. (2008). "Influence of two organic amendments on the soil physical properties, soil losses, sediments and runoff water quality". Geoderma. No. 145. pp. 325-334.
  48. Vagen, T.G., Andrianorofanomezana, M.A.A. and Andrianorofanomezana, S. (2006). "Deforestation and cultivation effects on characteristics of Oxisols in the highlands of Madagascar". Geoderma. No. 131. pp. 190-200.
  49. Walkley, A.C. and Black, T.A. (1935). "Estimation of soil organic carbon by chromic acid titration method". Soil Science Society of America. No. 47. pp. 29- 38.
  50. Wang, Z., Cheng, A.C. and Wu, L. (2003). "Assessing the soil quality of long-term reclaimed waste warer-irrigated cropland".Geoderma. No. 114. pp. 261-278.
  51. Westerman, R.L. (1990). "Soil testing and plant analysis". Soil Science Society of America. Madison. Wisconsin. USA.
  52. Wu, R., and Tiessen, H. (2002). "Effect of land use on soil degradation in Alpine grassland soil, China".Soil Science Society of America Journal. No. 66. pp. 1648-1655.

 

Physical Geography Research
Volume 47, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
October 2015
Pages 435-449

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 04 October 2014
  • Revise Date: 21 April 2015
  • Accept Date: 06 May 2015

Share

How to cite

Statistics