Indications of enhanced soil ecosystem functions in polyculture reforested grassland
Journal Title: Annals of Tropical Research - Year 2019, Vol 41, Issue 1
Abstract
A lot of work has been doneto evaluate the effects of biodiversity on ecological functions in polyculture plantings. But attention is rarely given to soil ecosystem functions such as carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) cycling even though they play a critical role in climate regulation through the sequestration and release of greenhouse gases (GHGs). In this study, stable isotopes of C and N were used to investigate if the aforementioned soil ecosystem functions are enhanced under polyculture reforestation by determining the sources of C stored in soil, its rate of incorporation, and the degree of soil N cycling. Twenty-five years after its establishment on an Imperata cylindrica grassland, the tree plantation has contributed 54% of the measured soil organic carbon (SOC) stock at an estimated rate of 2.41Mg C ha-1 yr-1. Larger mean soil 15N values and a more negative 15N enrichment factor (ε = -5.82‰) for the whole 50cm soil depth in tree plantation indicated a better N cycling compared to grassland vegetation. Results show the potential of polyculture reforestation as a sustainable approach to restoring degraded lands and enhancing the role of soil in climate regulation by improving the capacity of soil to store C and to supply N. In addition, information generated from studies like this allow the refinement of mechanisms used in payments for ecosystem services to add more value and provide higher incentives from the ecosystem services provided by polyculture reforestation.
Authors and Affiliations
Angelica P. Baldos, Roland Rallos
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP755605
- DOI https://doi.org/10.32945/atr4114.2019
- Views 13
- Downloads 0
Screening and selection of drought-tolerant rainfed lowland rice seedlings based on early seedling vigor under Polyethylene Glycol-Induced Stress
A field-based drought tolerance screening is time- consuming and labor-intensive. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) offers a simple laboratory-based method to simulate drought stress efficiently. This study was conducted to iden...
Split crown technique for mass propagation of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) var. queen
The major problem limiting large scale commercial production and/or expansion of pineapple production is the difficulty in obtaining large quantity of quality planting materials due to slow rate of multiplication by conv...
Adlay (Coix Iacryma-jobi L.) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) intercropping and fertilization schemes as climate smart strategy for food and feed production
Adlay is considered an alternate staple food crop in the Philippines while napier is a versatile multipurpose fodder crop. Effective intercropping and fertilization strategies for the production of these crops could help...
Predicting preventive behaviors on Dog-Borne Zoonoses using the Health Belief Model
Due to the risks posed by dog-borne zoonotic diseases, a cross-sectional survey was carried out on: (1) respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics and prior exposure to dog-borne risks; (2) respondents’ knowledge, ri...
Insect vectors transmitting Phytoplasma to vegetables in Eastern Visayas Philippines
TPhytoplasma diseases are found affecting vegetables in Eastern Visayas, Philippines. Identifying the insect vectors that transmit phytoplasma in the field is necessary for the management of this disease. This study was...