Abstract
In Chile, 49.1% of the national territory is affected by soil degradation (including erosion and loss of soil organic matter), whereby of the 51.7 Mha that have been historically associated with agricultural-livestock and forestry activities, only 35.5 Mha are being used at the present. Consequently, soil degradation has resulted in the release of about 11.8 Gg yr−1 of carbon (C) equivalent (CO2eq) to the atmosphere. Silvopastoral systems (SPS), however, can increase soil organic C (SOC) through sequestration (C→SOC), improve ecosystem services, and have been internationally recommended for sustainable land use. Therefore, it was proposed to determine the effects of SPS on soils, over five years, in degraded sites that were located in the Ranchillo Alto (SPS-RA) (37°04′52″ S, 71°39′14″ W), Ñuble region. The sites were rated according to previous canopy disturbance levels (+) as follows: open (Op)+++, semi open (SOp)++, and semi closed (SC)+. The analysis was performed on different physical and chemical soil properties (0–5 and 5–20 cm depths), that were expressed as soil indicators (SIND) for chemical and physical properties, which were used to calculate a soil quality (SQ) index (SQI). The results indicated overall SQI values of 37.6 (SC) > 29.8 (Op) > 28.8 (SOp), but there were no significant variations (p < 0.05) in physical SQ, whereas chemical SQ varied in all conditions, mostly at 0–5 cm in Op and SOp. Increases of SOC were also observed (2015–2018 period) of 22.5, 14.5, and 4.8 Mg ha−1 for SOp, Op, and SC, respectively, showing that SPS promote the reclamation of Ranchillo Alto soils.
Highlights
IntroductionOf the 10–12 Pg yr−1 of the world emissions of carbon equivalent (CO2eq) (greenhouse gas emissions expressed as CO2) [1,2], deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions [3]
At present, of the 10–12 Pg yr−1 of the world emissions of carbon equivalent (CO2eq) [1,2], deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions [3]
As a part of the international efforts addressing climatic change, silvopastoral systems (SPS), which are defined as predetermined associations of woody and herbaceous species and livestock and are a subtype of an agroforestry system (AFS), have remarkable carbon sequestration (C→soil organic C (SOC)) potential, and are able to store around 1.8–6.1 Mg SOC yr−1 [6,7,8], which is critically relevant to natural pedologic processes, management practices, and environmental functions
Summary
Of the 10–12 Pg yr−1 of the world emissions of carbon equivalent (CO2eq) (greenhouse gas emissions expressed as CO2) [1,2], deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions [3]. As a part of the international efforts addressing climatic change, silvopastoral systems (SPS), which are defined as predetermined associations of woody and herbaceous species and livestock and are a subtype of an agroforestry system (AFS), have remarkable carbon sequestration (C→SOC) potential, and are able to store around 1.8–6.1 Mg SOC yr−1 [6,7,8], which is critically relevant to natural pedologic processes, management practices, and environmental functions In this regard, Karlen et al [9], introduced the concept soil quality defined as, “Soil capacity under a determined management or ecosystem fringe to sustain biological productivity, preserve environmental functions, promoting plant and animal development and human health”. According to [12,13,14], the selection criteria for soil indicators (SIND) should include the following: (i) a correlation with ecosystem processes (e.g., C→SOC); (ii) integration with chemical physical and biological properties, (iii) measured, replicated, and verified; (iv) a sensitivity to seasonal or atmospheric variations and realistic management practices; (v) compatibility with previous data; and (vi) usefulness for different professionals
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
