Abstract
Silvopastoral systems (SPS), an integrated farming system in which tropical grasses are combined with trees and shrubs, have been implemented in the last years in the Amazon region in order to mitigate the impacts generated by the traditional cattle ranching system. However, despite the multiple SPS’s benefits to soil and ecosystem, there is a paucity of comprehensive studies revealing the potential soil health (SH) restoration through SPS. Here, by developing an overall SH index using local native vegetation (Amazon rainforest) as a reference, we aimed to assess SH changes induced by the land transition from the traditional livestock production system to the SPS in the Colombian Amazon region. A chronosequence conformed by three areas: (i) native vegetation, (ii) traditional pasture and (iii) silvopastoral system was established in two study sites located in the Colombian Amazon, specifically in Caquetá State, the second hotspot of deforestation in the Amazon Basin. The results indicated high soil compaction and loss of macrofauna diversity and richness due to pasture management, causing a loss of 9% of soil capacity to function. In contrast, by integrating 31 soil indicators, our SH assessment revealed that SPS was an effective strategy for the recovery of SH, impacting positively multiple soil functions related to nutrient dynamics, water retention and supply, and biological activity.
Highlights
IntroductionThe establishment of pastures for cattle ranching has been closely associated with deforestation in the Amazon basin, the largest rainforest in the world [1,2,3]
These sites are located in a zone that has been strongly affected by deforestation for pastures establishment involving traditional cattle ranching
Degradation in soil health due to traditional PAST management was detected in site 2, with PAST soils functioning at 77% of their potential capacity, which was 9% lower than observed in Native vegetation (NV) (SHI = 0.86)
Summary
The establishment of pastures for cattle ranching has been closely associated with deforestation in the Amazon basin, the largest rainforest in the world [1,2,3]. In the following years, after deforestation, poor or absence of management and overgrazing pastures cause soil compaction, acidification, nutrient depletion, and soil erosion, leading to a scenario of land degradation [9,10,11,12,13,14]. The land and soil degradation caused by these improper management practices become important drivers to further land-use change to explore new areas for cattle ranching [15,16,17]
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