Effects of fire on soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, and soil properties under rotational shifting cultivation in northern Thailand
Issued Date
2022-01-15
Resource Type
ISSN
03014797
eISSN
10958630
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85117794227
Pubmed ID
34710759
Journal Title
Journal of Environmental Management
Volume
302
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Environmental Management Vol.302 (2022)
Suggested Citation
Arunrat N., Sereenonchai S., Hatano R. Effects of fire on soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, and soil properties under rotational shifting cultivation in northern Thailand. Journal of Environmental Management Vol.302 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113978 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/84736
Title
Effects of fire on soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, and soil properties under rotational shifting cultivation in northern Thailand
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Fire has been used for land clearing under rotational shifting cultivation (RSC) in Northern Thailand for a long time. However, the effects of fire on soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil properties are not well understood. We determined SOC, STN, and soil properties of the topsoil layer (0–30 cm) along a fallow chronosequence under RSC and assessed how fire affects SOC, STN, and soil properties. Eight fields at Ban Mae Pok, Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, were investigated. The levels of SOC, STN, and soil properties were observed at three time points: pre-burning, post-burning (5 minutes after burning), and post-harvest (nine months after burning). The highest SOC and STN stocks, organic matter (OM), and clay content were observed for the longest fallow period (7 years fallow), whereas the shortest period (1 year fallow) resulted in the lowest SOC and STN stocks. Fire caused no significant changes in SOC, STN, and some soil properties (soil texture, available P, exchangeable K, exchangeable Ca, exchangeable Mg, bulk density, and OM) because of the low fire intensity and short fire duration. Only pH and electrical conductivity were significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) after burning due to the demobilization of base cations in burnt vegetation and incorporation into the soil with ashes and wood charcoal. Although fire may still be necessary for RSC, maintaining the fire intensity below 380 °C to reduce SOC losses and appropriate post-fire management strategies to reduce STN losses are crucial.
