Impact of grazing on soil organic storage carbon in high lands of Anaime, Tolima, Colombia

Andrade Castañeda,Hernán Jair; Espinosa Gómez,Edna Lucia; Moreno Baltán,Herney Armando

Impact of grazing on soil organic storage carbon in high lands of Anaime, Tolima, Colombia

2014

Andrade Castañeda,Hernán Jair | Espinosa Gómez,Edna Lucia | Moreno Baltán,Herney Armando

The mineralization of the soil organic matter may be accelerated by productive activities as grazing and pasture management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of grazing on soil organic carbon (COS) in the high plateau of Anaime, Tolima, Colombia. An unbalanced completely randomized design was used, selecting three treatments: 1) pastures with 20 years in conservation; 2) pastures currently in use; and 3) Andean high-land native forests. The COS storage was estimated using organic carbon concentration and bulk density at a depth of 0-30 cm. Aboveground biomass (AB) of forage plants was also estimated in the case of pastures. Correlation and regression analysis were carried out between COS and time of use, occupation period and stocking rate. The pastures in use stored more COS than those conserved and native forests (P<0.05; 34.4 vs 22.0 vs 21.6 tC/ha, respectively). In contrast, conserved pastures stored more carbon in AB that those in use (P<0.05; 8.3 vs 2.1 tC/ha). It was found that extensive livestock management had a positive impact in the COS in the Páramo of Anaime. However, a change from forests to pastures would cause a CO2 emission by effect of burns and/or decomposition of the organic matter and the loss of other environmental services as water regulation and those derived from conservation of biodiversity.

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