Variation of land use and land cover effects on some soil physico-chemical characteristics and soil enzyme activity

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine some chemical, physical properties and extracellular enzymatic activities of soil modified after forestland transformation into cropland and pasture in cankiri-Uludere watershed. In this study, the changes in the properties of four different pedons classified as Lithic Leptosol (Lithic Xerorthent, Dystric Cambisol (Typic Dystroxerept, CMd) and Haplic Cambisol (Typic Haploxerept, CMha) located on three adjacent land use types which are native forest, pasture and cultivated fields include some extracellular enzymes, organic matter, pH, EC, CaCO3, bulk density, total porosity, hydraulic conductivity and aggregate stability. The effects of agricultural practices on soil properties taken from each four adjacent land use types were most clearly detected in the past 50 years with the land use change. Land use change and subsequent tillage practices resulted in significant decreases in organic matter, total porosity, total nitrogen and soil aggregates stability. There was also a significant change in bulk density among cultivat, pasture and natural forest soils. Depending upon the increasing in bulk density and disruption of pores by cultivation, total porosity decreased accordingly. The data show that after long term continuous cultivation of the natural forest soils resulted in change in soils both in physical and chemical characteristics. In addition, it was found that changes of land use and land cover associated with organic matter content can alter the soil enzyme activities within the soil profile.