Assessment of soil and its macrofauna in a degraded silvopastoral system of developing animals
Keywords:
Livestock systems, pastures, dry seasonAbstract
At the heifer development unit “La Micaela,” located in the municipality of Rodas, province of Cienfuegos, a silvopastoral system with Leucaena was established in 2002 and evaluated in 2005. This system later degraded due to poor management, and the soil indicators and its macrofauna are currently unknown 19 years after its establishment; therefore, a comparative assessment was proposed as the objective. To achieve this, the following soil chemical indicators were measured in one paddock previously evaluated, using three soil pits at depths of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm: pH, P₂O₅, K₂O (mg 100 g⁻¹), and organic matter (%). In addition, the botanical composition of the area and its availability were assessed. Soil macrofauna was also evaluated in the same soil pits. Likewise, meteorological data for the same period were collected, including temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), and rainfall (mm). The soil chemical indicators of the degraded silvopastoral system with Leucaena for developing animals, after 19 years, showed a favorable variation in pH, which became more alkaline (7.45), with higher average values (mg 100 g⁻¹) for P₂O₅ (4.95) and K₂O (63.31), respectively. In turn, organic matter showed a higher value only at the 10–20 cm depth (4.92%). The soil macrofauna exhibited greater species diversity, although the number of individuals within similar groups was lower. The evaluated meteorological variables described the characteristics of the dry season, with low rainfall and higher temperatures.
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