Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Associate Professor, University of Guilan
2
Former MSc student, University of Guilan
Abstract
Land use changes such as conversion of forest to cultivated land significantly influence soil properties and modify soil forming processes. In order to study the effects of different land use on soil physical, chemical and biological properties, five sites of mountain landforms consisting of Bijarbagh (granite parent rock), Zemeidan (basaltic andesite parent rock), Alisorod (phyllite parent rock), Khorma (basaltic andesite parent rock), and Leil (andesitic basalt parent rock), located in part of Lahijan and Langaroud regions were selected. Each site had forest cover and tea garden next to it. A representative profile in each land use was dug and three locations around the profile were selected for soil sampling (0-30 cm). This study was conducted in a factorial arrangement and completely randomized block design (CRBD). Results indicated that land use changes and parent material had significant effect on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Land use changes (forest to tea garden) significantly increased clay, silt, bulk density, and free iron oxides (Fed) with mean values of 12%,10.5%,17%, and 5.5 percent, respectively, but significantly decreased sand, pH, organic carbon (OC), exchangeable Ca+Mg, exchangeable K, CEC, amorphous iron oxides (Feo), biomass respiration contents and bacterial population with mean values of 3.7%, 11%, 17.7%, 29.9%, 32.6%, 18.3%, 24%, 34%, and 22 percent, respectively.
Keywords
)
