Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations
High revenues from rubber latex exports have led to a rapid expansion of commercial rubber cultivation and, as a consequence, the conversion of different land use types (e.g., natural forests) into rubber plantations, which may lead to a decrease in soil health. In this study in Quang Tri Province,...
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/8/357 |
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| author | Thu Thi Nguyen Truong Tat Do Richard Harper Trang Thanh Pham Tran Vu Khanh Linh Thai Son Le Le Bao Thanh Nguyen Xuan Giap |
| author_facet | Thu Thi Nguyen Truong Tat Do Richard Harper Trang Thanh Pham Tran Vu Khanh Linh Thai Son Le Le Bao Thanh Nguyen Xuan Giap |
| author_sort | Thu Thi Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High revenues from rubber latex exports have led to a rapid expansion of commercial rubber cultivation and, as a consequence, the conversion of different land use types (e.g., natural forests) into rubber plantations, which may lead to a decrease in soil health. In this study in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, we determined: (1) the variation of soil health parameters along a chronosequence of rubber tree stands and natural forests and (2) the relationships and potential feedback between vegetation types, vegetation structures and soil health. Our results revealed that: (1) soil health was higher in natural forests than in rubber plantations with a higher values in higher biomass forests; (2) soil health was lower in younger rubber plantations; (3) soil health depends on vegetation structure (with significantly positive relationships found between soil health and canopy cover, litter biomass, dry litter cover and ground vegetation cover). This study highlights the need for more rigorous land management practices and land use conversion policies in order to ensure the long-term conservation of soil health in rubber plantations. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:25:42Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
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| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-c73c3a0adb414e06b0de58c4f68f9c4e2023-11-20T10:12:04ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722020-08-0110835710.3390/agriculture10080357Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture PlantationsThu Thi Nguyen0Truong Tat Do1Richard Harper2Trang Thanh Pham3Tran Vu Khanh Linh4Thai Son Le5Le Bao Thanh6Nguyen Xuan Giap7Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi 10018, VietnamMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ha Noi 00016, VietnamAgricultural and Forestry Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Perth, WA 6150, AustraliaFaculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi 10018, VietnamFaculty of Forestry, Nong Lam University–Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City 71308, VietnamFaculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi 10018, VietnamFaculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi 10018, VietnamInstitute of Forest Ecology and Environment, Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Ha Noi 10018, VietnamHigh revenues from rubber latex exports have led to a rapid expansion of commercial rubber cultivation and, as a consequence, the conversion of different land use types (e.g., natural forests) into rubber plantations, which may lead to a decrease in soil health. In this study in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, we determined: (1) the variation of soil health parameters along a chronosequence of rubber tree stands and natural forests and (2) the relationships and potential feedback between vegetation types, vegetation structures and soil health. Our results revealed that: (1) soil health was higher in natural forests than in rubber plantations with a higher values in higher biomass forests; (2) soil health was lower in younger rubber plantations; (3) soil health depends on vegetation structure (with significantly positive relationships found between soil health and canopy cover, litter biomass, dry litter cover and ground vegetation cover). This study highlights the need for more rigorous land management practices and land use conversion policies in order to ensure the long-term conservation of soil health in rubber plantations.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/8/357rubber plantationssoil healthland conversionmonoculture cropsfarm management |
| spellingShingle | Thu Thi Nguyen Truong Tat Do Richard Harper Trang Thanh Pham Tran Vu Khanh Linh Thai Son Le Le Bao Thanh Nguyen Xuan Giap Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations Agriculture rubber plantations soil health land conversion monoculture crops farm management |
| title | Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations |
| title_full | Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations |
| title_fullStr | Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations |
| title_short | Soil Health Impacts of Rubber Farming: The Implication of Conversion of Degraded Natural Forests into Monoculture Plantations |
| title_sort | soil health impacts of rubber farming the implication of conversion of degraded natural forests into monoculture plantations |
| topic | rubber plantations soil health land conversion monoculture crops farm management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/8/357 |
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