Efecto de diferentes tipos de uso de la tierra en las fracciones del carbono orgánico del suelo

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of different types of land use on the organic carbon fractions of a chromic vertisol soil. Materials and Methods: The research was developed in a permanent observation point, located in Holguin province. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 0-20 cm, in three different types of land uses: Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) forest, natural pasture (Paspalum notatum L.) and sugarcane (hybrid Saccharum spp.). Total organic carbon, coarse particulate carbon, fine particulate carbon and carbon associated with minerals were determined after physical particle size fractionation of the samples. Results: There were significant differences in total organic carbon and its fractions in the different land uses and among them (p ≤ 0,05). In terms of total organic carbon, the A. indica forest was superior (16 and 32 %) to natural grass and hybrid Saccharum spp., respectively. This was due to the quantity and quality of plant biomass contributed by each crop and the increase in anthropogenic activity in the different land uses. Conclusions: As management practices increased, total organic carbon contents and its fractions decreased. The highest organic carbon contents were found in the fraction associated with minerals and fine particulate matter with regards to coarse particulate matter in the different land uses. The A. indica forest showed the highest contents, followed by natural pasture and hybrid Saccharum spp., respectively.

Keywords

• particulate organic carbon
• vertisols
• agroecosystems