The effect of land use change on some biological characteristics of soil in the rangelands of Sohrein region, Zanjan province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

Nowadays, vast areas of rangelands have undergone land use changes, which can seriously threaten the fate of soil ecosystem health. In this research, the effect of land use change on some biological characteristics of soil was studied in the rangelands of the Sohrein region in Zanjan province. A factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted, and 24 soil samples were collected from three land uses: rangeland areas, areas converted from rangeland to farmlands less than ten years ago, and areas converted over 30 years ago at two depths 0-15 and 15-30 cm. The results showed that basal soil microbial respiration, substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass, activities of urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and microbial quotient were higher in rangelands compared to other land uses. The population of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms was higher in farmlands with more than 30 years of cultivation than in other land uses. Higher values of metabolic and microbial respiration quotients, which indicate ecological disorders, were observed in farmlands with less than ten years of cultivation. As a result, changes in land use have put pressure on ecosystem performance, leading to a decline in soil biological quality. In the long term, the conversion of rangelands to agricultural lands has improved soil biological conditions, although there remains a notable deviation from its original and ideal state.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Introduction:

Land use change is an important issue in the optimal and sustainable management of natural resources. It can have a widespread impact on various crucial aspects and characteristics of soil, particularly its biological properties. It is widely acknowledged that land use conversion from rangeland to agricultural lands often leads to alterations in biological traits, and, in some cases, chemical and physical attributes are also affected. Soil organisms play a pivotal role in the soil ecosystem, contributing to essential processes and functions, and they possess the capacity to enhance numerous soil processes. Hence, precise identification and assessment of soil biological characteristics are imperative for discovering the effects and consequences of land use changes in soil resources. Due to the increasing manipulation and destruction of rangelands in the arid and semi-arid areas, which are sensitive and vulnerable habitats, this study aimed to investigate the effects of land use change from rangeland to rainfed agricultural lands on the soil’s biological and some chemical characteristics of the soil.

Objectives:

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effect of rangeland conversion to agricultural land use with different histories on soil biological characteristics in a semi-arid region and to evaluate the amount of biological stress after land use change in different land uses using eco-physiological indicators.

Materials and Methods:

This study selected three nearby areas with different land use histories, including rangelands, areas with less than ten years of conversion from rangeland to rainfed agriculture, and areas with more than 30 years of conversion from rangeland to rainfed agriculture. A factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted, and soil sampling was randomly carried out at two depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm with four replications. Soil samples were collected from each depth and immediately transferred to flasks at four °C to preserve biological quality. Soil microbial and enzymatic activity and chemical properties were determined using standard laboratory methods. The data was analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS to assess the impact of the main factors (land use and soil depth) and their interaction. The Duncan multiple range test was used at a 0.05 probability level for post hoc analyses.

Results:

The conversion of rangeland to rainfed cultivation showed detrimental effects on soil biological and chemical characteristics. The results showed that basal soil microbial respiration, substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass, activities of urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, C to N ratio, and microbial quotient were significantly higher in rangelands compared to other land uses. Moreover, soil organic carbon, the C to N ratio, and the activities of urease and acid phosphatase were significantly higher in rainfed agricultural lands with over 30 years of cultivation than those with less than ten years of cultivation. The population of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms was higher in farmlands with more than 30 years of cultivation than in other land uses. Higher metabolic and microbial respiration quotient values, which indicate ecological disorders, were observed in rainfed agricultural lands with less than ten years of cultivation. Land use change did not significantly affect soil pH. However, soil electrical conductivity was higher in rainfed agricultural lands, with the highest values observed in areas that had been cultivated for over 30 years. Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant positive association between organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (r=0.68**), basal respiration (BR) (r=0.68**), substrate-induced respiration (SIR) (r=0.68**), and enzyme activities (p< 0.05). These findings underscore the crucial role of organic carbon in governing microbial populations and enzyme functionality within the soil ecosystem.

Conclusion:

In this study, the conversion of rangeland to agricultural lands was found to have a detrimental impact on several biological characteristics, including microbial respiration, substrate-stimulated respiration, extracellular enzyme activities, and microbial biomass. Additionally, eco-physiological indices such as metabolic quotient, microbial quotient, and microbial respiration quotient provided insights into the condition of the studied land uses. These findings suggest that following the conversion of rangeland to agricultural lands, soil microorganisms experienced heightened pressure and environmental stress. Increased environmental disturbance led to accelerated decomposition of organic carbon in agricultural soils, ultimately resulting in a decline in soil biological quality. Over time, the biological condition of the soil has improved, yet it still significantly deviates from its original and ideal state.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.

Data Availability Statement

If the study did not report any data, you might add “Not applicable” here.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of the present study.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest. 

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 11
January 2025
Pages 2125-2143

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