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Abstract
Terracing is the oldest technique for water and soil conservation on natural hilly slopes. In Northern Thailand, terraced paddy fields were constructed long ago, but scientific questions remain on how terraced paddy fields and upland rice (non-terraced) differ for soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, soil nutrients and soil erodibility. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate and compare SOC stocks, soil nutrients and soil erodibility between terraced paddy fields and upland rice at Ban Pa Bong Piang, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Topsoil (0–10 cm) was collected from terraced paddies and upland rice fields after harvest. Results showed that SOC stocks were 21.84 and 21.61 Mg·C·ha−1 in terraced paddy and upland rice fields, respectively. There was no significant difference in soil erodibility between terraced paddies (range 0.2261–0.2893 t·h·MJ−1·mm−1) and upland rice (range 0.2238–0.2681 t·h·MJ−1·mm−1). Most soil nutrients (NH4-N, NO3-N, available K, available Ca and available Mg) in the terraced paddy field were lower than those in the upland rice field. It was hypothesized that the continuous water flows from plot-to-plot until lowermost plot caused dissolved nutrients to be washed and removed from the flat surface, leading to a short period for accumulating nutrients into the soil. An increase in soil erodibility was associated with decreasing SOC stock at lower toposequence points. This study suggested that increasing SOC stock is the best strategy to minimize soil erodibility of both cropping systems, while proper water management is crucial for maintaining soil nutrients in the terraced paddy field.
Highlights
The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool has been a key challenging subject since it could generate either positive or negative feedback on atmospheric CO2 changes [1–3]
Concerning agriculture in mountainous areas, the slope gradient is the key factor affecting SOC dynamics and soil quality [12–14], while soil losses and soil erosion are highly correlated with slope steepness [15]
Our study aims to evaluate and compare (1) SOC stock and soil nutrients and (2) soil erodibility between terraced paddy fields and upland rice as well as the different potentials of rice terraces among toposequences
Summary
The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool has been a key challenging subject since it could generate either positive or negative feedback on atmospheric CO2 changes [1–3]. As soil stores three-times more carbon than the atmosphere, many land uses have endangered soil degradation and the related SOC sequestration potential [4,5], especially under agricultural systems [6]. The SOC in soils is often depleted and has the potential to sequester carbon (C) under agricultural practices [7,8]. Concerning agriculture in mountainous areas, the slope gradient is the key factor affecting SOC dynamics and soil quality [12–14], while soil losses and soil erosion are highly correlated with slope steepness [15]. It is challenging to investigate the variation of SOC, soil nutrients and soil erodibility under different land management techniques in hilly and mountainous areas
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