Soil Impacts
Source: Navarrete, Acácio A., et al. 2010
The impacts of slash and burn agriculture can be divided into three aspects:
1. Soil impacts
2. Biodiversity impacts
3. Social impacts
Here, we will be focusing solely on the impact that deforestation has on the soil. Soil nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen, and carbonate compounds are vital to soil fertility [1]. This leads us to conclude that without these elements, it is not possible to sustain naturally growing plant-life or crops that would have been planted by farmers.
An interruption in a natural cycle such as that of tropical forests, according to a two-year sampling study conducted by the Benjamin Constant Municipality 2010 (shown in Figure 4), demonstrates that soil pH levels in the forests of slash and burn activity (identified as secondary forest) was lower compared to primary forest sites.
The deforestation of tropical forests alters many soil properties such as increasing properties that would transform fertile land to infertile or eroded soil, for example 17-38% silt and 25-35% clay at all sites, which made it susceptible to erosion [25].
1. Soil impacts
2. Biodiversity impacts
3. Social impacts
Here, we will be focusing solely on the impact that deforestation has on the soil. Soil nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen, and carbonate compounds are vital to soil fertility [1]. This leads us to conclude that without these elements, it is not possible to sustain naturally growing plant-life or crops that would have been planted by farmers.
An interruption in a natural cycle such as that of tropical forests, according to a two-year sampling study conducted by the Benjamin Constant Municipality 2010 (shown in Figure 4), demonstrates that soil pH levels in the forests of slash and burn activity (identified as secondary forest) was lower compared to primary forest sites.
The deforestation of tropical forests alters many soil properties such as increasing properties that would transform fertile land to infertile or eroded soil, for example 17-38% silt and 25-35% clay at all sites, which made it susceptible to erosion [25].
Soil Fertility
Source: Kleinman, P. J. A., et Al. 1995
According to Kleinman, et al, three stages of slash-and-burn agriculture is described which includes:
1) Conversion
2) Cropping
3) Fallow
During each of these stages many functions take place. During conversion by clearing and burning of the native vegetation, for example, serves as a combined function of removing the coverage of the canopies, reducing pest competition and removing other physical impediments to cropping [15]. The idealized soil fertility curve for a sustainable slash-and-burn agroecosystem is illustrated by Figure 2 (right). An eventual decline in soil fertility results from continued nutrient removal by crop and fallow activity as well as by the transformation of nutrients from plant available to non-extractable forms and the loss of nutrients from the swidden by leaching, runoff and volatilization,” (Andriesse, 1980; Frlster, 1986 ). [24]
1) Conversion
2) Cropping
3) Fallow
During each of these stages many functions take place. During conversion by clearing and burning of the native vegetation, for example, serves as a combined function of removing the coverage of the canopies, reducing pest competition and removing other physical impediments to cropping [15]. The idealized soil fertility curve for a sustainable slash-and-burn agroecosystem is illustrated by Figure 2 (right). An eventual decline in soil fertility results from continued nutrient removal by crop and fallow activity as well as by the transformation of nutrients from plant available to non-extractable forms and the loss of nutrients from the swidden by leaching, runoff and volatilization,” (Andriesse, 1980; Frlster, 1986 ). [24]