Stable isotopes for characterisation of trends in soil carbon following deforestation and land use change in the highlands of Madagascar

• Published in: Geoderma Vol. 135; pp. 133 - 139
• Main Authors: Vågen, Tor-Gunnar, Walsh, Markus G., Shepherd, Keith D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Deforestation; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Land use change; Madagascar; Soil fertility; Soil organic carbon; Soils; Stable isotopes; Surficial geology; Indian Ocean Islands; Madagascar; ISW, Indian Ocean, Madagascar; Deforestation; Soil fertility; Stable isotopes; Land use change; Madagascar; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Soil organic carbon; practice; Upland area; Carbon isotope discrimination; Soil deterioration; Shifting cultivation; Clearance; Reflection spectrometry; Ecological damage; land use; Tree felling; soils; land cover; Human; stable isotopes; Poverty; Indian Ocean; Diffuse reflection; Trend; forests; ecosystems; Farmer; characterization; Reflectance

The impacts of human land use in the highlands of Madagascar are often equated with land degradation and decreasing soil fertility. The practice most often focused on is deforestation through slash-and-burn cultivation ( tavy), and shifting cultivators are often portrayed as being ignorant, poverty-...