Land Use Pattern and Its Effect on Soil Quality in Minjiang River Dry Valley

Abstract

A study was initiated in a small semi-arid catchment with reforestation history to elucidate the soil change. Results showed that land use pattern was closely related with terrain conditions and human disturbance levels. Soil properties under four typical human-disturbed land use types (orchard, shrub, cropland and reforested land) were compared. Significant differences were found for total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (OM), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). Cultivated land had the lowest level for most soil properties compared to other land uses and shrub land had a higher OM and TN than other land uses. The calculated soil quality index indicated the soil conditions were shrub≫reforested land≫orchard≫cropland. The study suggested that in the dry valleys shrubs had a good capacity for soil improvement and reforestation, if well restored, could also improve soil quality and biodiversity. Secondary succession may be a better choice than the policy ‘change farmland to forest land’, especially for the mountainous regions where there is lack of labour and financial support.