HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (24) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Giardina, C.P. Articles by Døckersmith, I.C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Giardina, C.P. Articles by Døckersmith, I.C. Agricola Articles by Giardina, C.P. Articles by Døckersmith, I.C.

DIVISION S-7-FOREST & RANGE SOILS

Changes in Soil Phosphorus and Nitrogen During Slash-and-Burn Clearing of a Dry Tropical Forest

^a Dep. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Denver, Denver, CO 80208 USA
^b Dep. of Agronomy and Soil Sci., Univ. of Hawaii, Manoa Beaumont Research Center, 461 West Lanikaula St., Hilo, HI 96720 USA

giardina{at}hawaii.edu

Slash-and-burn clearing of forest typically results in an increase in soil nutrient availability. Throughout the tropics, ash from consumed vegetation has been accepted as the primary nutrient source for this increase. In contrast, soil heating has been viewed as a secondarily important mechanism of nutrient release. Through the use of multiple burn plots and intensive pre-burn and post-burn sampling of mineral soil, this study quantified changes in total P and N, P fractions, and KCl-extractable N in soil during the slash-and-burn conversion of a Mexican dry forest to agriculture. Slash burning resulted in large transformations of non-plant-available P and N in soil into mineral forms readily available to plants. Anion-exchange resin, NaHCO₃-extractable P, and KCl-extractable N in soil increased by 37 kg P ha^-1 and 82 kg N ha^-1. Organic and occluded P (sequentially extracted with NaOH, sonication + NaOH, and NaOH fusion) and organic N (total N minus KCl-extractable N) decreased after burning by 25 kg P ha^-1 and 150 kg N ha^-1. Immediately after burning, ash from consumed aboveground biomass contained 11 kg P ha^-1 and 27 kg N ha^-1, of which 55 and 74%, respectively, were quickly transported off the site by wind. At this dry forest site, soil heating had a much larger influence on soil P and N availability than inputs of ash.

Abbreviations: P_i, inorganic phosphorus • P_o, organic phosphorus

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Dikici and C. H. Yilmaz Peat Fire Effects on Some Properties of an Artificially Drained Peatland J. Environ. Qual., April 3, 2006; 35(3): 866 - 870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]