Abstract
Background and purposeVolcanic eruptions of pyroclastic tephra, including the ash-sized fraction (< 2 mm; referred to as volcanic ash), have negative direct impacts on soil quality. The intensity (deposit thickness, particle-size distribution) and frequency (return period) of tephra deposition influence soil formation. Vulnerability and subsequent recovery (resilience) of the plant-soil system depend on land-uses (vegetation and management). Few previous studies covered the whole deposition-recovery cycle. We investigated the volcanic ash deposition effects on soil properties and their recovery across land-uses on a densely populated volcanic slope.MethodsWe measured the canopy cover and volcanic ash thickness six years after the 2014 Mt. Kelud eruption in four land-use systems: remnant (degraded) forests, complex agroforestry, simple agroforestry, and annual crops. Each system was monitored in three landscape replicates (total 12 plots). For the soil recovery study, we measured litter thickness, soil texture, Corg, soil C stocks, aggregate stability, porosity, and soil infiltration in three different observation periods (pre-eruption, three, and six years after eruption).ResultsPost-eruption volcanic ash thickness varied between land-use systems and was influenced by the plots slope position rather than canopy cover. The average soil texture and porosity did not vary significantly between the periods. Surface volcanic ash and soil layers initially had low aggregate stability and limited soil infiltration, demonstrating hydrophobicity. While Corg slowly increased from low levels in the fresh volcanic ash, surface litter layer, aggregate stability, and soil infiltration quickly recovered.ConclusionsDifferent land-use management resulted in different recovery trajectories of soil physical properties and function over the medium to long term after volcanic ash deposition.
Highlights
The lowest canopy cover was found in CR (12.7%)
No significant differences were found in canopy cover between complex agroforestry (CAF) and simple agroforestry (SAF)
The volcanic ash thickness variability under CR was higher compared to DF and agroforestry systems
Summary
Volcanic soils have extraordinarily high soil fertility once ash deposited on the surface has become soil with Andic properties (Sanchez 2019). Farming on volcanic slopes and adjacent valleys involves exposure to extreme circumstances during volcanic eruptions. This includes pyroclastic materials deposition of < 2 mm tephra fractions (it includes sand, silt and clay particles in conventional texture analysis) which is often directly referred to as ‘volcanic ash’ (Arnalds 2013; Fuentes et al 2020; Müller et al 2019; Rossi et al 2021; Suh et al 2019), and subsequent volcanic ash movement in the landscape (Anda et al 2016; Ayris and Delmelle 2012; Zobel and Antos 2017). Few studies have described the extensive short-mediumlong term changes and recovery of soil physical characteristics and functions. We investigated the volcanic ash deposition effects on Responsible Editor: W Richard Whalley
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