Abstract

ANAYA, Carlos A. et al. Organic carbon content and water retention in soils of a cloud forest in Michoacán, México. Agrociencia [online]. 2016, vol.50, n.2, pp.251-269. ISSN 2521-9766.

Cloud Forests (CFs) in Michoacan, Mexico, face strong pressures due to logging and the change of land use to agriculture, which can affect the ecological functions of the soil. This study identifies the main soils of a CF in Michoacan, and evaluates its contensts of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and water-retention capacity. The sampling design was stratified, considering different slope positions. Eight profiles of soils of 1 m in depth were characterized using standard methods. The soil groups identified, Andosol, Alisol, Umbrisol, displayed high degrees of weathering, high to neutral acidities, and a low saturation of bases. The SOC content fluctuated between 92 and 152 Mg ha-1; 55 % of this was distributed in the first 30 cm, and no differences were observed between soil groups. Water retention at high tension (HT, 1500 kPa) and low tension (LT, 30 kPa) varied from 98 to 284 L m-2, and from 249 to 510 L m-2, respectively. At a depth of 60 cm, where fine roots concentrate, the available water (AW) fluctuated between 107 and 167 L m-2, with no differences between soil groups. Water retention at HT had a negative correlation with the proportion of sands and the bulk density, whereas LT had a positive correlation with the concentration of SOC, and a negative one with bulk density. The AW had a positive correlation with the SOC concentration. The study confirms the importance of the CF in the storage of SOC and indicates that the SOC is determinant in the availability of water. Given the accumulation of SOC on the soil surface, carbon and water retention can be very sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances.

Keywords : Mountain cloud forest; soil organic carbon; soil moisture; ecosystem services; Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.

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