The effect of land use changes on soil properties(case study: Mazdaran watershed)
Subject Areas : Agroecology Journal
1 - agriculture
Keywords: Vegetation, land use change, deforestation, soil chemical properties, soil physical properties,
Abstract :
The conversion of forests and pastures to agricultural land is one of the major concerns regarding environmental degradation and global climate change. This study aimed to investigate the changes in physical and chemical properties of soil under different land uses. Accordingly, a topographic map at a scale of 1:25000 was provided by the Iran mapping organization, and the boundaries of the catchment area were determined. Then, a land use map was prepared using satellite images and aerial photographs. Points for digging profile holes were determined for each of the desired uses, resulting in a total of 19 profiles. In the area, some soil characteristics, such as depth and color, and so on, were determined and a description map for each profile was filled in. Samples were collected from each horizon for further analysis, and 52 samples were sent to the laboratory. A laboratory test was performed to determine the percentage of clay, sand, silt, organic matter percentage, pH, and EC. Ultimately, a one-way analysis of variance was performed to determine the relationship between soil properties and land use. Duncan's test was used to compare the means at a significant level of 5%. According to the results, defforestation, destruction of pastures, and subsequent continuous cultivation of these lands destroy some of the optimal physical and chemical properties of the soil. The results of this study indicate that changes in land use can lead to a decrease in soil organic carbon and soil porosity, followed by a decrease in soil hydraulic conductivity, leading to soil degradation and making it susceptible to erosion. Overall, it can be concluded that land use changes cause undesirable soil properties through soil degradation, increased erodibility, and decreased fertility
