Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Agroforestry can improve soil fertility and aggregate-associated carbon in highland soils in the Brazilian northeast

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The land use effect on soil chemical attributes and the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in soil aggregates of tropical forest patches from the Brazilian semiarid have been neglected. This study aimed to investigate the effects of land use on the soil fertility and dynamics of aggregates and associated cementing agents (SOC and iron oxides). Bulk soil samples under three land uses (forest, agroforestry system, and pasture) in different layers (0.0–0.2 and 0.2–0.4 m) were collected in humid highlands from Northeastern Brazil, named ‘Brejos de Altitude’. Soil acidity, exchangeable cations, availability P, and SOC were determined. The stability and size distribution of soil aggregates was measured as mean weight diameter (MWD). The samples were separated into six aggregate size fractions (< 2, 2–1, 1–0.5, 0.5–0.25, 0.25–0.106, and 0.106–0.053 mm) and evaluated for SOC and iron oxides (Fed). Our study indicated that agroforestry practices had an important effect on soil fertility, significantly increasing the content and cycling of Ca and P in the soils. The land use explained 75% variation of soil aggregates, in which SOC and Fed interactions contributed 55%. Conversion from forest to pasture significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the SOC in each aggregate size, while the agroforestry did not change. The agroforestry increased the potential of soils as SOC sink in microaggregates, suggesting higher storage and stabilization of SOC in the long term. SOC and Fed had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the stability of macroaggregates and microaggregates of soils under agroforestry, respectively. Agroforestry systems represent a sustainable practice for soil fertility improvement and SOC sink in the highlands of Brazilian Northeast.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvares CA, Stape JL, Sentelhas PC, Gonçalves JLM, Sparovek G (2013) Köppen’s climate classification map for Brazil. Meteorol Zeitschrift 22(6):711–728

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • An S, Mentler A, Mayer H, Blum WEH (2010) Soil aggregation, aggregate stability, organic carbon and nitrogen in different soil aggregate fractions under forest and shrub vegetation on the Loess Plateau. China Catena 81(3):226–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arevalo LA, Julio Cesar A, Vilcahuaman M, Javier L (2002) Metodologia para estimar o estoque de carbono em diferentes sistemas de uso da terra, 1ª edição.;Editora: Colombo-PR, Brasil, pp. 1–40

  • Barreto PAB, Gama-Rodrigues EF, Gama-Rodrigues AC, Fontes AG, Polidoro JC, Moço MKS, Machado RCR, Baligar VC (2011) Distribution of oxidizable organic C fractions in soils under cacao agroforestry systems in Southern Bahia, Brazil. Agrofor Syst 81:213–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bucka FB, Kölbl A, Uteau D, Peth S, Kögel-Knaber I (2019) Organic matter input determines structure development and aggregate formation in artificial soils. Rev Geoderma 354:113–881

    Google Scholar 

  • CoreTeam R (2017) R: a language and environment for statistical computing [Internet]. Vol. 2

  • Crespo MGC, Piscoya VC, Araújo Filho RN, Lima SB II, Moraes AS, França MV, Fernandes MM, Cunha Filho M, Gomes Filho RR, Cavalcante NLL, Melo RCP, Piscoya TF, Roncal JP, Pereira LM, Holanda FSR, Pedrotti A, Feitosa TB, Oliveira PP (2022) Soil carbon stocks and labile fractions of organic matter under agroforestry system in breast of pernambucan altitude. Cienc Florest 32(4):2180–2198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong L, Kou M (2022) Soil aggregate stability and carbon density in three plantations in the loess plateau China. Forest 13:1096

    Google Scholar 

  • Dori T, Asefaw Z, Kippie T (2022) Soil characteristics under dominant agroforestry systems along toposequence of Gedeo, southeast Ethiopia. Environ Sustain Indic 15:100–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahad S, Chavan SB, Chichaghare AR, Uthappa AR, Kumar M, Kakade V, Pradhan A, Jinger D, Rawale G, Yadav DK, Kumar V, Farooq TH, Ali B, Sawant AV, Saud S, Chen S, Poczai P (2022) Agroforestry systems for soil health improvement and maintenance. Sustainability 2022(14):14877

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fokom R, Adamoui S, Teugwa MC, Begoude ADB, Nana WL, Ngonkeu MEL, Tchameni NS, Nwaga D, Ndzomo GT, Zollo PHA (2012) Glomalin related soil protein, carbono, nitrogen and soil aggregate stability as affected by land use variation in the humid forest zone of south Cameroon. Soil & Tillage Res 120:69–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gois LSS, Corrêa ACB, Monteiro KA (2019) Integrated analysis of highland humid Brejos in Northeast Brazil based on physiographic attributes. Espaço Aberto 9(2):77–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang L, Wang CY, Tan WF, Hu HQ, Cai CF, Wang MK (2010a) Distribution of organic matter in aggregates of eroded Ultisols, Central China. Soil Tillage Res 108:59–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang S, Peng X, Huang Q, Zhang W (2010b) Soil aggregation and organic carbon fractions affected by long-term fertilization in a red soil of subtropical China. Geoderma 154:364–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IUSS Working Group WRB. (2022) World Reference Base for Soil Resources. International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps, 4ª edition, International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), publishing company: Austria, pp. 1–236

  • Jiang W, Li Z, Xie H, Ouyang K, Yuan H, Duan L (2023) Land use change impacts on red slate soil aggregates and associated organic carbon in diverse soil layers in subtropical China. Sci Total Environ 856:159194

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kemper WD, Chepil WS (1965) Size distribution of aggregates. In: Black CA (ed) Methods of soil analysis: part 1 Physical and mineralogical properties, including statistics of measurement and sampling. American Society Agronomy, Madison, pp 499–510

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, Solomon D, Kinyangi J, Dathe L, Wirick S, Jacobsen C (2008) Spatial complexity of soil organic matter forms at nanometre scales. Nat Geosci 1:238–242

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liptzin D, Norris CE, Cappellazzi SB, Mac Bean G, Cope M, Greub KLH, Rieke EL, Tracy PW, Aberle E, Ashworth A, Tavares OB, Bary AI, Baumhardt RL, Gracia AB, Brainard DC, Brennan JR, Reyes DB, Bruhjell D, Carlyle CN, Crawford JJW, Honeycutt CW (2022) An evaluation of carbon indicators of soil health in long-term agricultural experiments. Soil Biol Biochem 172:108708

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Long G, Jiang Y, Sun B (2012) Effects of long-term application of pig manure on ameliorating acidity of red soil. Soils 44(5):727–734

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maltoni KL, De Mello LMM, Dubbin WE (2017) The effect of Ferralsol mineralogy on the distribution of organic C across aggregate size fractions under native vegetation and no-tillage agriculture. Soil Use Manag 33:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy JF, Ilavsky J, Jastrow JD, Mayer LM, Perfect E, Zhuang J (2008) Protection of organic carbon in soil microaggregates via restructuring of aggregate porosity and filling of pores with accumulating organic matter. Geochim Cosmochim Acta Geoderma 72(19):4725–4744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mungai WN, Motavalli PP, Kremer RJ, Nelson KA (2005) Spatial variation in soil enzyme activities and microbial functional diversity in temperate alley cropping systms. Biol Fertil Soils 42:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mutual PK, Cadisch G, Albrecht A, Palm CA, Verchot L (2005) Potential of agroforestry for carbon sequestration and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from soils in the tropics. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 71:43–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Notaro KA, Medeiros EV, Duda GP, Silva AO, de Moura PM (2014) Agroforestry systems, nutrients in litter and microbial activity in soils cultivated with coffee at high altitude. Sci Agric 71(2):87–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nunes MR, Veum KS, Parker PA, Holan SH, Karlen DL, Amsili JP, van Es HM, Wills SA, Seybold CA, Moorman TB (2021) The soil health assessment protocol and evaluation applied to soil organic carbon. Soil Sci Soc Am J 85:1196–1213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paudel BR, Udawatta RP, Kremer RJ, Anderson SH (2012) Soil quality indicator responses to row crop, grazed pasture, and agroforestry buffer management. Agrofor Syst 84:311–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng X, Yan X, Zhou H, Zhang YZ, Sun H (2015) Assessing the contributions os sesquioxides and soil organic matterto aggregation in an Ultisolunder long-term fertilization. Soil Tillage Res 46:89–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu L, Wei X, Gao J, Zhang X (2015) Dynamics of soil aggregate-associated carbon along an afforestation chronosequence. Plant Soil 391:237–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rieke EL, Bgnall DK, Morgan CLS, Flynn KD, Howe JA, Greub KLH, Bean GM, Cappellazzi SB, Cope M, Liptzin D, Norris CE, Tracy PW, Aberle E, Aschworth A, Tavarez OB, Bary AI, Baumhardt RL, Gracia AB, Brainard DC, Brennam JR, Honeycutt CW (2022) Evaluation of aggregate stability methods for soil health. Geoderma 428:116156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez L, Suárez JC, Rodriguez W, Artunduaga KJ, Lavelle P (2021) Agroforestry systems impact soil macroaggregation and enhance carbon storage in Colombian deforested Amazonia. Geoderma 384:114810

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sá JCM, Lal R (2009) Stratification ratio of soil organic matter pools as a indicator of carbon sequestration in a tillage chronosequence on a Brazilian oxisol. Soil Tillage Res 103(1):46–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos AMM, Cavalcanti DR, da Silva JMC, Tabarelli M (2007) Biogeographical relationships among tropical forests in north-eastern Brazil. J Biogeogr 34:437–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Six J, Feller C, Denef K, Ogle S, de Moraes Sa JC, Albrecht A (2002) Soil organic matter, biota and aggregation in temperate and tropical soils-effects of no-tillage. Agronomie 22:755–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Six J, Bossuyt H, Degryze S, Denef K (2004) A hystory of research on the link between (micro)aggregates, soil biota, and soil organic matter dynamics. Soil Tillage Res 79:7–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith AP, Ashmore MR, Black HI, Burgess PJ, Evans CD, Quine TA, Thomson AM, Hicks K, Orr HG (2013) Review: the role of ecosystems and their management in regulating climate, and soil, water and air quality. J Appl Ecol 50:812–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spohn M, Giani L (2010) Water-stable aggregates, glomalin-related soil protein, and carbohydrates in a chronosequence of sandy hydromorphic soils. Soil Bio Biochem 42:1505–1511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sposito G (2008) The chemistry of soils. Oxford University Press, New York, p 321

    Google Scholar 

  • Suárez LR, Salazar JCS, Casanoves F, Bieng MAN (2021) Cacao agroforestry systems improve soil fertility: comparison of soil properties between forest, cacao agroforestry systems, and pasture in the Colombian Amazon. Agricult Ecosyt Environ 314:107349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teixeira PC, Donagemma GK, Fontana A, Teixeira WG (2017) Manual de Métodos de Análise de Solo, 3ªedição.; Editora: Brasília - DF, Brasil. pp. 1–577

  • Tian Y, Lu S (2023) Amorphous iron oxides protect aggregate-associated organic carbon from microbial utilization and decomposition evidenced from the natural abundance of 13C. Soil Tillage Res 227:105623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Cao F, Wang G (2013) Soil microbiological properties and enzyme activity in Ginkgo-tea agroforestry compared with monoculture. Agroforest Syst 87:1201–1210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tisdall JM, Oades JM (1982) Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. Eur J Soil Sci 63:8–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Torralba M, Fagerholm N, Burgess PJ, Moreno G, Plieninger T (2016) Do European agroforestry systems enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services? a meta-analysis. Agric Ecosyst Environ 230:150–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Totsche KU, Amelung W, Gerzabek MH, Guggenberger G, Klumpp E, Knief C, Lehndorff E, Mikutta R, Peth S, Prechtel A, Ray N, Kögel-Knabner I (2018) Microaggregate in soils. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 181:104–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JG, Yang W, Yu B, Li ZX, Cai CF, Ma RM (2016) Estimating the influence of related soil properties on macro-and micro-aggregate stability in Ultisol of south central China. Catena 137:545–553

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Ren C, Cheng H, Zou Y, Bughio MA, Li Q (2017) Conversion of rainforest into agroforestry and monoculture plantation in China: consequences for soil phosphorus forms and microbial community. Sci Total Environ 595:769–778

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Xu J, Liu X, Zhang D, Li L, Li W, Sheng L (2019a) Effects of long-term application of organic fertilizer on improving organic matter content and retarding acidity in red soil from China. Soil Tillage Res 195:104382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Li T, Zheng Z, Zhang X, Chen HYH (2019b) Soil organic carbon and nutrients associated with aggregate fractions in a chronosequence of tea plantations. Ecol Indic 101:444–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao L, Yao K, Li P, Liu Y, Chang E, Zhang Y, Zhu T (2020) Increased soil aggregate stability correlated with root and soil properties along a gradient of secondary succession on the Loess Plateau. J Ecol Eng 143:105671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Yuan H, Yu M, Cheng X (2020) Large macroaggregate properties are sensitive to the conversion of pure plantation to uneven-aged mixed plantations. Catena 194:104724

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue B, Huang L, Huang Y, Zhou F, Li F, Kubar KA, Li X, Lu J, Zhu J (2019) Roles of soil carbon organic and iron oxides on aggregate formation and stability in two paddy soils. Soil Tillage Res 187:161–1713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeomans JC, Bremner JM (1988) A rapid and precise method for routine determination of organic carbon in soil. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 19(13):1467–1476

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yinga OE, Sanjay KK, Chowlani M, Kant TS, Khanduri VP, Kumar SS (2020) Influence of land use pattern on soil quality in a steeply sloped tropical mountainous region India. Arch Agron Soil Sci 68(6):852–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu HY, Ding WX, Luo JF, Geng RL, Cai ZC (2012) Long-term application of organic manure and mineral fertilizers on aggregation and aggregate-associated carbon in a sandy loam soil. Soil Till Res 124:170–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Shengzhe E, Wang Y, Su S, Bai L, Wu C, Zeng X (2021) Long-term manure application enhances the stability of aggregates and aggregate-associated carbon by regulating soil physicochemical characteristics. Catena 203:105342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Chen S, Hu R, Li Y (2017) Aggregate stability and size distribution of red soils under different land uses integrally regulated by soil organic matter, and iron and aluminium oxides. Soil Tillage Res 167:73–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong Z, Chen Z, Xu Y, Ren C, Yang G, Han X, Ren G, Feng Y (2018) Relationship between soil organic carbon stocks and clay content under different climatic conditions in Central China. Forests 9(10):598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong Z, Han X, Xu Y, Zhang W, Fu S, Liu W, Ren C, Yang G, Ren G (2019) Effects of land use change on organic carbon dynamics associated with soil aggregate fractions on the Loess Plateau, China. Land Degrad Dev 30(9):1070–1082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu F, Li YB, Xue SG, Hartley W, Wu H (2016) Effects of iron-aluminium oxides and organic carbon on aggregate stability of bauxite residues. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:9073–9081

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Técnico e Científico, Grant No. 400014/2022–0.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DSER/CCA/UFPB, Department of Soil and Rural Engineering, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Rodovia BR 079 - Km 12, Areia, Paraíba, 58397-000, Brazil

    Rodrigo Santana Macedo, Milton César Costa Campos & Raphael Moreira Beirigo

  2. INSA, Semi Arid National Institute, Av. Francisco Lopes de Almeida, S/N, Serrotão, Campina Grande, Paraíba, 58429-970, Brazil

    Rodrigo Santana Macedo, Letícia Moro, Kalline de Almeida Alves Carneiro & Alexandre Pereira de Bakker

  3. UEPB, State University of Paraíba, Sítio Imbaúba, S/N, Zona Rural, Lagoa Seca, Paraíba, 58117000, Brazil

    Cristiano dos Santos Sousa

Authors
  1. Rodrigo Santana Macedo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Letícia Moro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cristiano dos Santos Sousa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kalline de Almeida Alves Carneiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Milton César Costa Campos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Alexandre Pereira de Bakker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Raphael Moreira Beirigo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization RM and CS; Methodology RM and CS; Software LM; Formal analysis LM; Investigation RM and CS; Data curation RM, CS and LM; Writing—original draft preparation, RM LM; Writing—review and editing, LM, KC and MC; Visualization, RM, LM and KC; Supervision AB; Project administration CS; Funding acquisition RB and AB. All au-thors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Milton César Costa Campos.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Macedo, R.S., Moro, L., dos Santos Sousa, C. et al. Agroforestry can improve soil fertility and aggregate-associated carbon in highland soils in the Brazilian northeast. Agroforest Syst (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00875-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00875-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation