The response of soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial respiration to different land use types: A case of areas in Central-North Hungary region

Tsedekech Gebremeskel Weldmichael,Erika Michéli,Barbara Simon

doi:10.1556/0088.2021.00079

Tsedekech Gebremeskel Weldmichael, Erika Michéli + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1556/0088.2021.00079

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Abstract

Land use change may modify key soil attributes, influencing the capacity of soil to maintain ecological functions. Understanding the effects of land use types (LUTs) on soil properties is, therefore, crucial for the sustainable utilization of soil resources. This study aims to investigate the impact of LUT on primary soil properties. Composite soil samples from eight sampling points per LUT (forest, grassland, and arable land) were taken from the top 25 cm of the soil in October 2019. The following soil physicochemical parameters were investigated according to standard protocols: soil organic matter (SOM), pH, soil moisture, NH4+–N, NO3––N, AL-K2O, AL-P2O5, CaCO3, E4/E6, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and exchangeable bases (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Na+). Furthermore, soil microbial respiration (SMR) was determined based on basal respiration method. The results indicated that most of the investigated soil properties showed significant difference across LUTs, among which NO3––N, total N, and K2O were profoundly affected by LUT (p ≤ 0.001). On the other hand, CEC, soil moisture, and Na+ did not greatly change among the LUTs (p ≥ 0.05). Arable soils showed the lowest SOM content and available nitrogen but the highest content of P2O5 and CaCO3. SMR was considerably higher in grassland compared to arable land and forest, respectively. The study found a positive correlation between soil moisture (r = 0.67; p < 0.01), Mg2+ (r = 0.61; p < 0.01), and K2O (r = 0.58; p < 0.05) with SMR. Overall, the study highlighted that agricultural practices in the study area induced SOM and available nitrogen reduction. Grassland soils were more favorable for microbial activity.

Highlights

Land use change has been a global concern as it leads to soil degradation and soil nutrient cycles alteration
The present study found a positive correlation of soil microbial respiration (SMR) with soil moisture (r = 0.67; p < 0.01), Mg2+ (r = 0.61; p < 0.01 ), K2O (r = 0.58; p < 0.05), soil organic matter (SOM) (r = 0.56; p < 0.05), and Na+ (r = 0.52; p < 0.05), no statistically significant correlation of SMR with pH (r = 0.33; p > 0.05) was observed (Table 3)
We found that soils under relatively undisturbed systems had advantages in good soil attributes over disturbed systems

Summary

Introduction

Land use change has been a global concern as it leads to soil degradation and soil nutrient cycles alteration. Land degradation is a growing concern for food security and ecosystem services in Europe and Central Asia. One of the major drivers of soil degradation in this region is agricultural intensification, which results in soil erosion, soil organic matter (SOM) loss, compaction, and soil pollution (FAO, 2015). Soil degradation decreases the capacity of the soil to supply primary production and its functional capacity to perform numerous critical ecosystem services (LEHMAN et al, 2015). The agricultural area in Hungary has declined; the country is among the leaders in terms of the proportion of agricultural land to the total area in the European Union (BOZSIK & KONCZ, 2018). Two third of the country is used for agriculture (JAKAB et al, 2015)

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