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C and N Content in Density Fractions of Whole Soil and Soil Size Fraction Under Cacao Agroforestry Systems and Natural Forest in Bahia, Brazil

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Abstract

Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have an important role in capturing above and below ground soil carbon and play a dominant role in mitigation of atmospheric CO2. Attempts has been made here to identify soil organic matter fractions in the cacao-AFSs that have different susceptibility to microbial decomposition and further represent the basis of understanding soil C dynamics. The objective of this study was to characterize the organic matter density fractions and soil size fractions in soils of two types of cacao agroforestry systems and to compare with an adjacent natural forest in Bahia, Brazil. The land-use systems studied were: (1) a 30-year-old stand of natural forest with cacao (cacao cabruca), (2) a 30-year-old stand of cacao with Erythrina glauca as shade trees (cacao + erythrina), and (3) an adjacent natural forest without cacao. Soil samples were collected from 0-10 cm depth layer in reddish-yellow Oxisols. Soil samples was separated by wet sieving into five fraction-size classes (>2000 μm, 1000–2000 μm, 250–1000 μm, 53–250 μm, and <53 μm). C and N accumulated in to the light (free- and intra-aggregate density fractions) and heavy fractions of whole soil and soil size fraction were determined. Soil size fraction obtained in cacao AFS soils consisted mainly (65 %) of mega-aggregates (>2000 μm) mixed with macroaggregates (32–34%), and microaggregates (1–1.3%). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N content increased with increasing soil size fraction in all land-use systems. Organic C-to-total N ratio was higher in the macroaggregate than in the microaggregate. In general, in natural forest and cacao cabruca the contribution of C and N in the light and heavy fractions was similar. However, in cacao + erythrina the heavy fraction was the most common and contributed 67% of C and 63% of N. Finding of this study shows that the majority of C and N in all three systems studied are found in macroaggregates, particularly in the 250–1000 μm size aggregate class. The heavy fraction was the most common organic matter fraction in these soils. Thus, in mature cacao AFS on highly weathered soils the main mechanisms of C stabilization could be the physical protection within macroaggregate structures thereby minimizing the impact of conversion of forest to cacao AFS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge “Pau Brasil Foundation” for the first author’s fellowship; Dr. Michele Oliveira Macedo (In memorian) and Dr. David Campos for technical support in density fractionation method; Kátia R. Nascimento Sales for technical support in soil analysis within the Soil Laboratory at North Fluminense State University; and Volney Magalhães for technical assistance in collecting soil samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Laboratory, North Fluminense State University, UENF/CCTA/LSOL Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000 Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, 28013-602, Brazil

    Joice Cleide O. Rita, Emanuela Forestieri Gama-Rodrigues & Antonio Carlos Gama-Rodrigues

  2. EMBRAPA Solos, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Jose Carlos Polidoro

  3. MARS Center of Cocoa Science, Itajuípe, Bahia, Brazil

    Regina Cele R. Machado

  4. USDA-ARS Sustainable Perennial Crop Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA

    Virupax C. Baligar

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  1. Joice Cleide O. Rita
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  2. Emanuela Forestieri Gama-Rodrigues
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  3. Antonio Carlos Gama-Rodrigues
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  5. Regina Cele R. Machado
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  6. Virupax C. Baligar
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Correspondence to Emanuela Forestieri Gama-Rodrigues.

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Rita, J.C.O., Gama-Rodrigues, E.F., Gama-Rodrigues, A.C. et al. C and N Content in Density Fractions of Whole Soil and Soil Size Fraction Under Cacao Agroforestry Systems and Natural Forest in Bahia, Brazil. Environmental Management 48, 134–141 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9642-3

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