Effect of Land Use Systems on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties in the Motapahar Forest Ecosystem, Dimoria Tribal Belt, Assam

Abstract

Soil quality mainly depends on the response of soil to different land use systems and management practices, which may often modify the soil properties and hence soil productivity. For assessing land use–induced changes in soil properties. This study was conducted in Motapahar Proposed Reserve Forest of Dimoria Tribal Development Block of Kamrup District, Assam. Soil samples were collected randomly from 0-15 depth under different land use systems of similar landscape to analyse the soil physical and chemical properties by standard laboratory methods. The findings of this study revealed that the soil texture varied in all the land use systems. The temperature of soils in all the plantations and natural forest was found to be between 28–30°C. Soil moisture percentage ranged from 16.1% to 24.31%, with the highest value recorded in bamboo plantation. The average bulk density of soil ranged from 1.12 to 1.25 g/cm³ for different land use systems, with teak plantation having a higher bulk density (1.25 g/cm³) and natural forest having a lower bulk density (1.12 g/cm³). The soil was found to be moderately acidic, with pH ranging from 5.13 to 5.47. The average organic matter content was higher in natural forest (1.44), followed by bamboo plantation (1.21), rubber plantation (1.10), and teak plantation (0.90). The average amount of nitrate nitrogen ranged from 1.6 mg/Kg to 2.83 mg/Kg, with a higher value observed in bamboo plantation. The available phosphorus in natural forest was higher, with 13.32 Kg/ha, compared to other land use systems. A higher amount of available potassium was found in natural forest (36.46 kg/ha), while teak had a lower amount of available potassium (23.06 kg/ha). These results indicate that different land use systems significantly influence soil physico-chemical properties and soil quality in the study area.