The Fertility Status of Soils at Rehabilitated Degraded Land in Universiti Putra Malaysia Planted with <i>Pinus caribaea</i> and <i>Swietenia macrophylla</i>

Abstract

Soil fertility (both physical and chemical) is one of the important factors limiting plant growth. So, the fertility of the soils should be determined before growing crops and after the establishment of forest rehabilitation. A study was conducted to determine the fertility status of soils at rehabilitated degraded land in Universiti Putra Malaysia. The main objective was to compare the fertility of soils planted forest and pasture. Three sites studied were pines plantation (Pinus caribaea), mahogany plantation (Swietenia macrophylla) and pasture area. At each site, three squares of 20×20 m were selected and two depths of soil sample were collected, topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-40 cm), from six points within the squares. The physical properties of the soils analyzed were bulk density, soil texture and moisture content, while the chemical properties were pH, total C and N, cation exchangeable capacity and exchangeable cations (Al, Ca, Mg, K and Na). The mean annual increment of height, diameter and volume of planted forest were also taken. The increment of height, diameter at breast height and volume of P. caribaea and S. macrophylla did not show any comparative difference for the cause of the similarity in the increment of patterns catalysed at the same location and climatic condition. P. caribaea showed higher SFI value compared to the other study plots, especially for the topsoil. In contrast, pasture plot had higher SEF, followed by P. caribaea and S. macrophylla plantation plots. P. caribaea showed the highest SFI value, while pasture plot had highest SEF, followed by P. caribaea and S. macrophylla plantation plots. Further study on bigger forest plantation having different types of plant species and land topography needs to be conducted to allow individuals and bodies in the field of forest plantation to gain the opportunity and implement the right approaches to establish forest plantation with good planting establishment practices.

Soil CO2 efflux in relation to soil temperature and relative humidity in gmelina, mahogany and pine stands in Malaysia

“…The study was carried out in gmelina, mahogany and pine experimental plots located at the Institute of Bioscience (2° 59' N, 101° 43' E), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor. The three adjacent plots were previously planted to rehabilitate degraded pasture land (Malik et al 2015). The gmelina and mahogany plots were on gently undulating terrain (62-70 m asl) while the pine plot, gentle slope (~10°, 60-87 m asl).…”

“…The gmelina and mahogany plots were on gently undulating terrain (62-70 m asl) while the pine plot, gentle slope (~10°, 60-87 m asl). Mean annual temperature and rainfall are 27 °C and 2201 mm respectively (Malik et al 2015). The Serdang soil series is classified as Haplic Nitisols (FAO 2006).…”

Proposed Soil Quality Index for Rehabilitated Tropical Forest Sites in Malaysia

“…Most of the plantation management assume that the success of tree growth reflects the restoration of degraded forest land towards a healthier and higher fertility status without knowing that soil properties are the main indicators that show how well forest rehabilitation had successfully restored the condition of the planted forest to its original state like natural forest (Mohd-Aizat et al, 2014;Malik et al, 2015). Furthermore, most of the forest evaluation studies are carried out on temperate regions compared to tropical regions.…”