Post-Harvest Eucalyptus Residue Removal Reduces Soil Aggregation and Biological Activities in Central-West Brazil

Karla Nascimento Sena, Thaís Soto Boni, Kátia Luciene Maltoni, Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato and Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira ()
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Karla Nascimento Sena: Department of Plant Health, Rural Engineering, and Soils, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Ilha Solteira 15385-000, SP, Brazil
Thaís Soto Boni: Department of Plant Health, Rural Engineering, and Soils, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Ilha Solteira 15385-000, SP, Brazil
Kátia Luciene Maltoni: Department of Plant Health, Rural Engineering, and Soils, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Ilha Solteira 15385-000, SP, Brazil
Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato: Department of Plant Health, Rural Engineering, and Soils, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Ilha Solteira 15385-000, SP, Brazil
Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira: School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: Tree residue removal from Eucalyptus plantations after timber harvest can reduce soil functioning by reducing the organic matter input. To assess the effects of residue management systems (RMS) on soil aggregation, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content, and biological activities, a field trial was conducted in a commercial Eucalyptus plantation (loamy sand soil) in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The study assessed three RMS: cut-to-length (CTL), tree-length (TL), and bare litter (BL), respectively. After 21 months, undisturbed soil samples were collected and physically isolated into three aggregate-size fractions: large macroaggregates (LM), medium macroaggregates (SM), and microaggregates (MI). Results showed that these soils are mostly composed of LM (54%), and that removing harvest residues from the growing site included total organic carbon (TOC) by 28%, microbial biomass-C by 20%, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis by 17%, and β-glucosidase activity by 26%, when compared to CTL. TL outperformed CTL for the proportion of LM and LM-associated TOC. Across fractions, a higher microbial quotient was observed in SM and MI fractions, suggesting that the TOC has higher stability inside the LM. This study suggests that leaving harvest residues on the soil should be recommended for Eucalyptus plantations, especially in low-fertility sandy soils, as it helps in maintaining the soil structure and biological activities critical for soil health and ecosystem function.

Keywords: sandy soils; soil health; aggregate stability; soil enzyme activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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