Accelerated soil mineralization, nitrification, and revegetation of abandoned fields due to the removal of crop-soil phytotoxicity

Abstract

In an abandoned corn field, clear-cutting of crop vegetation increased the productivity, species richness, and nonannuals in the following years after abandonment, as compared to the control plots from which crop vegetation was not removed. The increase in plant growth was apparently due to the elimination of allelopathic chemicals from the soil, which normally are released from the standing crop. Removal of vegetation also increased the soil mineralization of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ⁻-N. This situation encouraged species having higher mineral requirements to rapidly invade the fields in the successive years. Clear-cutting also increased the nitrification process by removing the inhibitors of nitrification. The number ofNitrosomonas was always significantly higher in the harvested plots as compared to unharvested plots. Phenolic phytotoxins were isolated from the crop residue and soil. Further, these phytotoxins were significantly higher in the unharvested crops as compared to clear-cut plots, in most samples. Whatever the direct or indirect additional explanation for increased biomass, nonannuals and richness in successive years, it is clear that the removal of standing crop has a definite influence.