Land quality changes following the conversion of the natural vegetation into silvo-pastoral systems in semi-arid NE Brazil

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 222; no. 1/2; pp. 59 - 70
• Main Authors: Wick, Barbara, Tiessen, Holm, Menezes, Romulo S.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers 01.01.2000; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural soils; Agroforestry; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; beta-glucosidase; biogeochemical cycles; biological activity in soil; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; Brazil; Caatinga; canopy; Cenchrus ciliaris; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Fertility; Forest soils; forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities; Grasses; Grasslands; Introduced species; Land management; land use; Natural vegetation; Nutrient status; Organic matter; Organic soils; Pastoralism; Pasture; Pastures; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Plant species introduction; Prosopis juliflora; Savanna soils; semiarid zones; silvopastoral systems; soil enzymes; soil fertility; Soil microorganisms; Soil nutrients; Soil organic matter; Soil quality; Soil science; Soil surfaces; Soils; Spondias; Trees; Vegetation changes; Ziziphus; South America; Brazil; America; Grassland; Monocotyledones; Organic matter; Soil fertility; Soil quality; Natural environment; Gramineae; Semi arid zone; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant cover; Rhamnaceae; Anacardiaceae; Environment quality; Silvopastoral system; Enzyme; Cenchrus ciliaris; Biogeochemical cycle; Prosopis juliflora; Multipurpose tree; Microbial biomass; Conversion; Biological activity; Soil management; Leguminosae; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop

The presence of trees in grasslands frequently results in resource islands of higher soil quality. Therefore, some native trees are often preserved or agroforestry species are interplanted when land is cleared for pasture. We evaluated soil quality changes associated with the conversion of a native...