Atlantic Forest topsoil nutrients can be resistant to disturbance and forest clearing

Abstract

Human impacts can affect the soil properties through erosion and leaching, the ecosystem functions and, consequently, the capacity of a forest to regenerate. Here, we determine the effects of forest disturbance and succession on selected soil chemical properties using two different approaches, before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) and space‐for‐time (SFT) substitution, and the threatened Atlantic Forest biome as model. We assessed with BACI the long‐term (37‐year) effects of clear cutting on soil properties by comparing data from two topsoil surveys (1978–2017) divided into two treatments: a preserved old growth forest (control) and an adjacent forest that was experimentally cleared with full tree removal (clear‐cut). We examined with SFT the relationship between stand age and soil properties using soil data from three old growth and 13\xa0s growth forests ranging from 7 to 33\xa0years. We found no significant differences between treatments for any soil property or significant changes in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium\xa0+\xa0magnesium over time. In contrast, pH increased and aluminum decreased in both areas. No relation was found between forest age and most of soil properties, with the exception of potassium which returned to old growth forest levels after 20\xa0years of natural succession, and pH. BACI indicated that deforestation of old growth forest caused no significant effects on soil chemical properties after 37\xa0years of regeneration. SFT demonstrated that soil properties did not change significantly during forest regeneration on formerly disturbed lands. Our findings indicate that natural nutrient‐depleted lowland forests were overall resistant to deforestation followed by passive regeneration at landscape scale. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.