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Nitrogen cycling in South American savannas

El ciclo del nitrógeno en las sabanas sudaméricanas

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Abstract

Savannas cover about 300 million hectares of South America. The soils are mainly oxisols and ultisols and their natural fertility is very low with high acidity. The natural vegetation varies in density and in the amount of biomass produced annually, which can be equal to that produced by forests in the region. Among the nitrogen-fixing micro-organisms, the only ones well-studied are Rhizobium bacteria. In managing the biomass in these areas, it is important to consider biological nitrogen-fixation as a possible source of nitrogen to replace that removed in crops. Nitrification and denitrification in these soils are intense but not well studied. The rainfall distribution during the growing season seems to have a considerable influence of the nitrogen supply to the soils. A considerable loss of nitrogen occurs in this environment when vast areas are burned annually.

Resumen

Las sabanas ocupan alrededor de 300 millones de hectáreas de Sudamérica. Los suelos son básicamente oxisoles y ultisoles de muy baja fertilidad y alta acidez. La vegetación natural varía en densidad y en la cantidad de biomasa producida anualmente, la cual puede llegar a ser igual a la producida por bosques de la región.

Entre los microorganismos fijadores de nitrógeno, los únicos bien estudiados son las bacterias del género Rhizobium. En el manejo de la biomasa de estas áreas, es importance considerar la fijación del nitrógeno, como una fuente posible que reemplace al que fué exportado en las cosechas.

La nitrificación y la denitrificación en estos, es intensa pero no bien estudiada. La distribución de lluvias durante la estación de crecimiento parece tener una influencia considerable en la provisión de nitrógeno de los suelos. Se registran considerables pérdidas de nitrógeno en este ambiente, cuando amplias áreas son quemadas anualmente.

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  1. Empresa Bras. de Pesq. Agrop. (EMBRAPA), Centro de Pesq. Agrop. dos Cerrados (CPAC), Planaltina, D.F., Brazil

    J. Pereira

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Pereira, J. Nitrogen cycling in South American savannas. Plant Soil 67, 293–303 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02182776

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