Sustainability/resilience of soil organic matter components in an Argentinean arid region

VÁZQUEZ C; MERLO C; NOE L; ROMERO C; ABRIL A

Spanish Journal of Soil Science

Sociedad Española de la Ciencia del Suelo

Año: 2013 vol. 3 p. 73 - 77

2253-6574

This short communication presents a novel approach to determine the soil sustainability of productive practices in an Argentinean arid region by means of the resilience degree of soil organic matter components. The study was conducted in four sites of Arid Chaco of Cordoba province: one undisturbed site, two sites with livestock (with total and selective clearing) and one site with agriculture. In each site three soil samples were taken and total soil organic matter, fulvic and humic acids, and non-humic substances were analyzed. Variations of each component (%) between each productive practice and the undisturbed site were calculated to establish the resilience degree. The livestock soils showed: a) moderate resilience for non-humic substances, b) low resilience for organic matter and humic acids, and c) no resilience for fulvic acids. The agricultural soils showed: a) low resilience for total organic matter and non-humic substances, and b) no resilient for fuclvic and humic acids. We conclude that this approach is a powerful tool to determine the management practice according with each particular situation, which will allow improve the dry areas productivity.