Abstract

HERNANDEZ CHAVEZ, Marta; SANCHEZ CARDENAS, Saray  and  SIMON GUELMES, Leonel. Effect of silvopastoril systems on soil fertility. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2008, vol.26, n.3, pp.319-321. ISSN 0798-7269.

A study was carried out on three different soils with the objective of determining the evolution of some soil chemical indicators (pH, OM, Ca, and K) and the macrofauna (organisms higher than 2 mm) in silvopastoril systems with ten years of exploitation, which were compared to the monocrop. In each dairy unit, soil samples were taken in 10 paddocks and the organisms present at a depth of 20 cm were quantified. The organic matter was found to be higher in the systems with trees (4.4 to 4.5%) than in the monocrop (3%), like the other indicators. When comparing the silvopastoril systems to the monocrop, a higher diversity of organisms was observed in the former. According to the results, it can be concluded that silvopastoril systems are a good choice that contribute to the improvement of soil fertility, without affecting the environment.

Keywords : silvopastoral systems; soil; macrofauna.

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