Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala: Effects on Soil Quality and Erosion Control

Intensive, subsistence agriculture on hillsides of southeast Guatemala has caused extensive soil degradation. This retrospective study evaluated the success of an agroforestry treatment in improving the sustainability of mountainous agricultural systems in terms of soil nutrient status and erosion c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sustainable forestry 2007-03, Vol.23 (4), p.61-80
Main Authors: Augustine, Christina M. Jensen, Vogt, Kristiina A., Harrison, Robert B., Hunsaker, Heather M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agriculture in mountains
Agroforestry
erosion control
Gliricidia sepium
Guatemala
N-fixing trees
soil nutrients
sustainable agriculture
Zea mays
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by
cites cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c188t-53bd83ce49597c62684606e5b02a372d689f4d26968393e9d5e8b08c7a2577b73
container_end_page 80
container_issue 4
container_start_page 61
container_title Journal of sustainable forestry
container_volume 23
creator Augustine, Christina M. Jensen
Vogt, Kristiina A.
Harrison, Robert B.
Hunsaker, Heather M.
description Intensive, subsistence agriculture on hillsides of southeast Guatemala has caused extensive soil degradation. This retrospective study evaluated the success of an agroforestry treatment in improving the sustainability of mountainous agricultural systems in terms of soil nutrient status and erosion control. Three years after maize (Zea mays) and pasture fields were alley-cropped with N-fixing Gliricidia sepium trees, soil nutrient levels were examined and compared to nonalley-cropped controls. Agroforestry treatment showed significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM) over paired plots with no alley-cropping (mean 4.3% vs. 3.2% C, p < 0.05). Mean total N was also higher, with 0.12% in the nonagro-forestry control plots compared to 0.16% underthe agroforestry treatment (p
doi_str_mv 10.1300/J091v23n04_04
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>proquest_cross</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_19651426</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><sourcerecordid>19651426</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c188t-53bd83ce49597c62684606e5b02a372d689f4d26968393e9d5e8b08c7a2577b73</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNptkD1PwzAYhC0EEqUwsmdiC9jxR-yxqigfKjCkSGyW4zjFyLWL7QD99wSVBYnpveG5u1cHwDmClwhDeHUPBfqosIdEQnIAJogSWNaUvRyOGlJSCo7QMThJ6Q1CxDlGE9A82hzD2vhyYb-sXxeraEwqrC-ajXKubLRyppito9WDy0M0ReiLhzD4rKwPQyqaMORXo1IubgaVzWhSp-CoVy6Zs987Bc-L69X8tlw-3dzNZ8tSj-W5pLjtONaGCCpqzSrGCYPM0BZWCtdVx7joSVcxwTgW2IiOGt5CrmtV0bpuazwFF_vcbQzvg0lZbmzSxjnlzfiaRIJRRCo2guUe1DGkFE0vt9FuVNxJBOXPdPLPdCPP97z1fYgb9Rmi62RWOxdiH5XXNkn8v_UbQJx0NA</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>19651426</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala: Effects on Soil Quality and Erosion Control</title><source>Taylor and Francis:Jisc Collections:Taylor and Francis Read and Publish Agreement 2024-2025:Science and Technology Collection (Reading list)</source><creator>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen ; Vogt, Kristiina A. ; Harrison, Robert B. ; Hunsaker, Heather M.</creator><creatorcontrib>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen ; Vogt, Kristiina A. ; Harrison, Robert B. ; Hunsaker, Heather M.</creatorcontrib><description>Intensive, subsistence agriculture on hillsides of southeast Guatemala has caused extensive soil degradation. This retrospective study evaluated the success of an agroforestry treatment in improving the sustainability of mountainous agricultural systems in terms of soil nutrient status and erosion control. Three years after maize (Zea mays) and pasture fields were alley-cropped with N-fixing Gliricidia sepium trees, soil nutrient levels were examined and compared to nonalley-cropped controls. Agroforestry treatment showed significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM) over paired plots with no alley-cropping (mean 4.3% vs. 3.2% C, p &lt; 0.05). Mean total N was also higher, with 0.12% in the nonagro-forestry control plots compared to 0.16% underthe agroforestry treatment (p &lt;0.05). Some improvement in soil water-holding capacity(WHC) was also observed in the agroforestry systems. Differences in soil levels of available P, ranging from 8.0 to 64.4 μg/g, were not significant and correlated more with site than with agroforestry treatment versus control. Specific soil and site properties such as texture and slope as well as land use and ground cover management largely influenced improvements in soil nutrient status under the agroforestry treatment at each site. Despite increases in soil nutrients, maize plant productivity showed no response to the agroforestry treatment in terms of leaf chlorophyll index or maize plant height. Three years after the initiation of agroforestry, soil erosion rates showed no difference from paired controls; rates were correlated with ground cover and soil characteristics such as texture and surface rockiness rather than with agroforestry treatment. While soil nutrient status had not reached levels optimum for maize growth after three years, the positive trajectory of change in soil nutrients suggests the potential for using agroforestry systems in mountainous regions of Guatemala to increase the sustainability of agricultural production.</description><identifier>ISSN: 1054-9811</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1540-756X</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1300/J091v23n04_04</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Taylor &amp; Francis Group</publisher><subject>agriculture in mountains ; Agroforestry ; erosion control ; Gliricidia sepium ; Guatemala ; N-fixing trees ; soil nutrients ; sustainable agriculture ; Zea mays</subject><ispartof>Journal of sustainable forestry, 2007-03, Vol.23 (4), p.61-80</ispartof><rights>Copyright Taylor &amp; Francis Group, LLC 2007</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c188t-53bd83ce49597c62684606e5b02a372d689f4d26968393e9d5e8b08c7a2577b73</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><link.rule.ids>314,780,784,27923,27924</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Vogt, Kristiina A.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Harrison, Robert B.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Hunsaker, Heather M.</creatorcontrib><title>Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala: Effects on Soil Quality and Erosion Control</title><title>Journal of sustainable forestry</title><description>Intensive, subsistence agriculture on hillsides of southeast Guatemala has caused extensive soil degradation. This retrospective study evaluated the success of an agroforestry treatment in improving the sustainability of mountainous agricultural systems in terms of soil nutrient status and erosion control. Three years after maize (Zea mays) and pasture fields were alley-cropped with N-fixing Gliricidia sepium trees, soil nutrient levels were examined and compared to nonalley-cropped controls. Agroforestry treatment showed significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM) over paired plots with no alley-cropping (mean 4.3% vs. 3.2% C, p &lt; 0.05). Mean total N was also higher, with 0.12% in the nonagro-forestry control plots compared to 0.16% underthe agroforestry treatment (p &lt;0.05). Some improvement in soil water-holding capacity(WHC) was also observed in the agroforestry systems. Differences in soil levels of available P, ranging from 8.0 to 64.4 μg/g, were not significant and correlated more with site than with agroforestry treatment versus control. Specific soil and site properties such as texture and slope as well as land use and ground cover management largely influenced improvements in soil nutrient status under the agroforestry treatment at each site. Despite increases in soil nutrients, maize plant productivity showed no response to the agroforestry treatment in terms of leaf chlorophyll index or maize plant height. Three years after the initiation of agroforestry, soil erosion rates showed no difference from paired controls; rates were correlated with ground cover and soil characteristics such as texture and surface rockiness rather than with agroforestry treatment. While soil nutrient status had not reached levels optimum for maize growth after three years, the positive trajectory of change in soil nutrients suggests the potential for using agroforestry systems in mountainous regions of Guatemala to increase the sustainability of agricultural production.</description><subject>agriculture in mountains</subject><subject>Agroforestry</subject><subject>erosion control</subject><subject>Gliricidia sepium</subject><subject>Guatemala</subject><subject>N-fixing trees</subject><subject>soil nutrients</subject><subject>sustainable agriculture</subject><subject>Zea mays</subject><issn>1054-9811</issn><issn>1540-756X</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2007</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><recordid>eNptkD1PwzAYhC0EEqUwsmdiC9jxR-yxqigfKjCkSGyW4zjFyLWL7QD99wSVBYnpveG5u1cHwDmClwhDeHUPBfqosIdEQnIAJogSWNaUvRyOGlJSCo7QMThJ6Q1CxDlGE9A82hzD2vhyYb-sXxeraEwqrC-ajXKubLRyppito9WDy0M0ReiLhzD4rKwPQyqaMORXo1IubgaVzWhSp-CoVy6Zs987Bc-L69X8tlw-3dzNZ8tSj-W5pLjtONaGCCpqzSrGCYPM0BZWCtdVx7joSVcxwTgW2IiOGt5CrmtV0bpuazwFF_vcbQzvg0lZbmzSxjnlzfiaRIJRRCo2guUe1DGkFE0vt9FuVNxJBOXPdPLPdCPP97z1fYgb9Rmi62RWOxdiH5XXNkn8v_UbQJx0NA</recordid><startdate>20070302</startdate><enddate>20070302</enddate><creator>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen</creator><creator>Vogt, Kristiina A.</creator><creator>Harrison, Robert B.</creator><creator>Hunsaker, Heather M.</creator><general>Taylor &amp; Francis Group</general><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>7ST</scope><scope>7U6</scope><scope>C1K</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20070302</creationdate><title>Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala</title><author>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen ; Vogt, Kristiina A. ; Harrison, Robert B. ; Hunsaker, Heather M.</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c188t-53bd83ce49597c62684606e5b02a372d689f4d26968393e9d5e8b08c7a2577b73</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2007</creationdate><topic>agriculture in mountains</topic><topic>Agroforestry</topic><topic>erosion control</topic><topic>Gliricidia sepium</topic><topic>Guatemala</topic><topic>N-fixing trees</topic><topic>soil nutrients</topic><topic>sustainable agriculture</topic><topic>Zea mays</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Vogt, Kristiina A.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Harrison, Robert B.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Hunsaker, Heather M.</creatorcontrib><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Environment Abstracts</collection><collection>Sustainability Science Abstracts</collection><collection>Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management</collection><jtitle>Journal of sustainable forestry</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Augustine, Christina M. Jensen</au><au>Vogt, Kristiina A.</au><au>Harrison, Robert B.</au><au>Hunsaker, Heather M.</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala: Effects on Soil Quality and Erosion Control</atitle><jtitle>Journal of sustainable forestry</jtitle><date>2007-03-02</date><risdate>2007</risdate><volume>23</volume><issue>4</issue><spage>61</spage><epage>80</epage><pages>61-80</pages><issn>1054-9811</issn><eissn>1540-756X</eissn><abstract>Intensive, subsistence agriculture on hillsides of southeast Guatemala has caused extensive soil degradation. This retrospective study evaluated the success of an agroforestry treatment in improving the sustainability of mountainous agricultural systems in terms of soil nutrient status and erosion control. Three years after maize (Zea mays) and pasture fields were alley-cropped with N-fixing Gliricidia sepium trees, soil nutrient levels were examined and compared to nonalley-cropped controls. Agroforestry treatment showed significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM) over paired plots with no alley-cropping (mean 4.3% vs. 3.2% C, p &lt; 0.05). Mean total N was also higher, with 0.12% in the nonagro-forestry control plots compared to 0.16% underthe agroforestry treatment (p &lt;0.05). Some improvement in soil water-holding capacity(WHC) was also observed in the agroforestry systems. Differences in soil levels of available P, ranging from 8.0 to 64.4 μg/g, were not significant and correlated more with site than with agroforestry treatment versus control. Specific soil and site properties such as texture and slope as well as land use and ground cover management largely influenced improvements in soil nutrient status under the agroforestry treatment at each site. Despite increases in soil nutrients, maize plant productivity showed no response to the agroforestry treatment in terms of leaf chlorophyll index or maize plant height. Three years after the initiation of agroforestry, soil erosion rates showed no difference from paired controls; rates were correlated with ground cover and soil characteristics such as texture and surface rockiness rather than with agroforestry treatment. While soil nutrient status had not reached levels optimum for maize growth after three years, the positive trajectory of change in soil nutrients suggests the potential for using agroforestry systems in mountainous regions of Guatemala to increase the sustainability of agricultural production.</abstract><pub>Taylor &amp; Francis Group</pub><doi>10.1300/J091v23n04_04</doi><tpages>20</tpages></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 1054-9811
ispartof Journal of sustainable forestry, 2007-03, Vol.23 (4), p.61-80
issn 1054-9811
1540-756X
language eng
recordid cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_19651426
source Taylor and Francis:Jisc Collections:Taylor and Francis Read and Publish Agreement 2024-2025:Science and Technology Collection (Reading list)
subjects agriculture in mountains
Agroforestry
erosion control
Gliricidia sepium
Guatemala
N-fixing trees
soil nutrients
sustainable agriculture
Zea mays
title Nitrogen-Fixing Trees in Small-Scale Agriculture of Mountainous Southeast Guatemala: Effects on Soil Quality and Erosion Control
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-01-08T15%3A40%3A57IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-proquest_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Nitrogen-Fixing%20Trees%20in%20Small-Scale%20Agriculture%20of%20Mountainous%20Southeast%20Guatemala:%20Effects%20on%20Soil%20Quality%20and%20Erosion%20Control&rft.jtitle=Journal%20of%20sustainable%20forestry&rft.au=Augustine,%20Christina%20M.%20Jensen&rft.date=2007-03-02&rft.volume=23&rft.issue=4&rft.spage=61&rft.epage=80&rft.pages=61-80&rft.issn=1054-9811&rft.eissn=1540-756X&rft_id=info:doi/10.1300/J091v23n04_04&rft_dat=%3Cproquest_cross%3E19651426%3C/proquest_cross%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c188t-53bd83ce49597c62684606e5b02a372d689f4d26968393e9d5e8b08c7a2577b73%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=19651426&rft_id=info:pmid/&rfr_iscdi=true