Effect of land-use on soil organic carbon, and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus

Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances alter ecosystems and can pose long term danger to the provision of ecosystem services. We hypothesized that land-use/land cover (LULC) change influences soil health. To evaluate the hypothesis, our study measured the soil organic carbon via loss on combustion, concentration of water-soluble nitrogen (Nitrogen; LaMotte Nitrate-Nitrogen test kit), and water soluble phosphorous (Phosphorus; Hach phosphate test kit) in the top 8 cm soil. The soil type (Ridgebury Complex) was constant at all sites on the Purchase College’s campus. LULC types were manicured lawn (L), partially maintained area (PM), and forest fragment (FF). Soil organic content was significantly different (p< 0.005) among LULCs, with FF > PM > L. Results indicated a significant influence of LULC on nitrogen and phosphorous levels, with (PM & FF) > L for nitrogen and L > (PM = FF) for phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels were not significantly correlated (p > 0.05). Previous studies demonstrated that a shift in LULC from manicured/maintained grass into unmaintained forests increases soil nutrient levels. Other studies have also suggested that anthropogenic land use results in a reduction in organic carbon storage, indicating a potential climate change strategy. Our study clearly demonstrated that land-use/land-cover changes alter carbon storage and nutrient levels