Variations in soil organic carbon content with chronosequence, soil depth and aggregate size under shifting cultivation

Shifting cultivation is a globally important form of agriculture covering over 280 million hectares in the tropics, but it has often been blamed for deforestation and forest degradation. In North East India (NEI) it has been practiced for millennia and it is an important element of the cultural identity of indigenous communities. It is often practiced on slopping lands with fragile soils (mostly Acrisols), which are prone to rapid degradation with cultivation. The shortened fallow cycle as practised currently is ecologically unsustainable and economically not viable. This study aimed to quantify (i) changes in soil bulk density, aggregate stability and compaction in relation to chronosequence and soil depth, (ii) changes in the proportion of macro, meso, and micro aggregates and associated soil organic carbon (SOC) content in relation to soil depth and fallow chronosequence, and (iii) determine the minimum fallow length that achieves SOC stocks comparable with adjacent intact forest land. The proportion of soil macro-aggregates and meso-aggregates significantly varied with land-use and soil depth as well as their interactive effects. Across all soil depths, forest land had the highest proportion of macro-aggregates (75.6%), while the currently cultivated land had the least proportion (51.1%). The SOC contents in macro-aggregates increased with fallow age and decreased with soil depth; the highest (1.95%) being in the top 10 cm soil of 20 years old fallows and the lowest (0.39%) in 21–30 cm depth of 5 years old fallows. Multivariate analysis identified bulk density and porosity as the most important variables to discriminate between land use practices. The analysis provided evidence for significant changes in soil compaction, aggregate stability and SOC content with the transition from undisturbed forest to slash-and-burn cultivation and fallow phases. It is concluded that a minimum of 20 years of fallow period is required to achieve SOC content and C stocks comparable with intact forest land. [Display omitted] •SOC content was positively correlated with MWD, GMD, and negatively with BD.•Soil macro- and meso-aggregates significantly varied with land-use and soil depth.•Macro-aggregates increased from cultivated land through the different fallow ages.•Macro-aggregates had higher SOC content than meso- and micro-aggregates.