Abstract
The origin of organic matter was studied in the soils of a parkland of karite’ (Vitallaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) and ne’ re’ (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.), which is extensively cultivated without the use of fertilisers. In such systems, fertility (physical, chemical and biological) gradients around trees have been attributed by some authors to a priori differences in fertility, allowing for better tree establishment on richer sites. In reverse, other workers believed that these gradients are due to the contribution of trees to the formation of soil organic matter through litter and decay of roots. Measurements of the variations in the 13C isotopic composition allowed for a distinction between tree (C3) derivedC and crop and grass (C4) derived Cin the total soil organic C content. The organic carbon contents of the soils were recorded under the two species at two soil depths and at five distances going from tree trunk to the open area and their C isotopic signatures were analysed. The results showed that soil carbon contents under karite’ (6.43± 0.45 g kg-1) and ne’ re’ (5.65± 0.27 g kg-1) were significantly higher (p<0.01) than in the open area (4.09± 0.26 g kg-1). The d13C of soil C was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the open area (-17.5± 0.3&) compared with the values obtained on average with depth and distance from tree under karite’ (-20.2± 0.4&) and ne’ re’ (-20.1± 0.4&). The C4-derived soil C was approximately constant, and the differences in total soil C were fully explained by the C3 (tree) contributions to soil carbon of 4.01± 0.71, 3.02± 0.53, 1.53± 0.10 g kg-1, respectively under karite’, ne’ re’ and in the open area. These results show that trees in parklands have a directly positive contribution to soil carbon content, justifying the need to encourage the maintenance of trees in these systems in semi-arid environments where the carbon content of soil appears to be the first limiting factor for crop growth.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Andriulo A., Gue’rif J. and Mary B. 1999. Evolution of soil carbon with various cropping sequences on the rolling pampas – Determination of carbon origin using variations in natural 13C abundance. Agronomie 19: 349–364.
Balesdent J. and Mariotti A. 1996. Measurement of soil organic matter turnover using 13C natural abundances. In: Boutton T.W. and Yamasaki S.I. (eds), Mass Spectrometry of Soils. Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, pp. 83–111.
Balesdent J., Wagner G.H. and Mariotti A. 1988. Soil organic matter turnover in long-term field experiments as revealed by carbon-13 natural abundance. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. 52: 118–124.
Bationo A. and Buerkert A. 2001. Soil organic carbon management for sustainable land use in Sudano–Sahelian West Africa. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 61: 131–142.
Bayala J. 2002. Tree crown pruning as a management tool to enhance the productivity of parklands in West Africa. PhD Thesis, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.
Bayala J., Mando A., Ouedraogo S.J. and Teklehaimanot Z. 2003. Managing Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa prunings for crop production and improved soil properties in the Sub-Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso. Arid Land Res. Manage. 17: 283–296.
Bayala J., Teklehaimanot Z. and Ouedraogo S.J. 2004. Fine root distribution of pruned trees and associated crops in a parkland system in Burkina Faso. Agroforest. Syst. 60: 13–26.
Bayala J., Teklehaimanot Z. and Ouedraogo S.J. 2002. Millet production under pruned tree crowns in a parkland system in Burkina Faso. Agroforest. Syst. 54: 203–214.
Belsky A.J. and Amundson R.G. 1998. Influence of savannah tres and shrubs on understorey grasses and soils: new directions in research. In: Bergstrom L. and Kirchman H. (eds.), Carbon and Nutrient in Natrural and Agricultural Tropical Ecosystems. CAB-International, Wallingford, UK, pp. 153–171.
Boutton T.W. 1996. Stable carbon isotope ratios of soil organic matter and their use as indicators of vegetation and climate change. In: Boutton T.W. and Yamasaki S. (eds), Mass Spectrometry of Soils. Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, USA, pp. 47–82.
Breman H. and Kessler J.J. 1995. Woody Plants in Agro-ecosystems of Semi-arid Regions (with an Emphasis on the Sahelian Countries). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
Brouwer J., Fussell L.K. and Herrmann L. 1993. Soil and crop growth micro-variability in the West African semi-arid tropics: a possible risk-reducing factor for subsistence farmers. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 45: 229–238.
Diels J., Vanlauwe B., Sanginga N., Coolen E. and Merck R. 2001. Temporal variations in plant d13C values and implications for using the 13C technique in long-term soil organic matter studies. Soil Biol. Biochem. 33: 1245–1251.
Dommergues Y.R. 1987. The role of biological nitrogen fixation in agroforestry. In: Steppler H.A. and Nair P.K.R. (eds), Agroforestry: A Decade Of Development. ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya, pp. 245–271.
FAO. 1988. Revised legend of soils map of the world 1/5 000 000. Soils Resources Report 60. FAO-Rome, Italy.
Hall J.B., Aebischer D.P., Tomlinson H.F., Osei-Amaning E. and Hindle J.R. 1996. Vitellaria paradoxa. A Monograph. School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.
Hall J.B., Tomlinson H.F., Oni P.I., Buchy M. and Aebischer D.P. 1997. Parkia biglobosa. A Monograph. School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, U.K.
Hopkins H.C. and White F. 1984. The ecology and chorology of Parkia in Africa. B. Jardin Botanique Naturelle Belgique 54: 235–266.
Lal R. 2002. The potential of soils of the tropics to sequester carbon and mitigate the greenhouse effect. Adv. Agron. 76: 1–30.
Manjaiah K.M., Voroney R.P. and Utpal Sen. 2000. Soil organic carbon stocks, storage profile and microbial biomass under different crop management systems in a tropical agricultural ecosystem. Biol. Fert. Soils 31: 273–278.
Maydell H.J. von 1983. Arbres et arbustes du Sahel. Leurs caracte ’ ristiques et leurs utilisations. GTZ, Eschborn, Germany.
Nyberg G. and Hogberg P. 1995. Effects of young agroforestry trees on soils in on-farm situations in western Kenya. Agroforest. Syst. 32: 45–52.
Osonubi O. and Fusehun F.E. 1987. Adaptation to soil drying in woody seedlings in African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth). Tree Physiol. 3: 321–329.
Sanchez P.A., Buresh R.J. and Leakey R.R.B. 1997. Trees, soils, and food security. Phil. Trans. R. Soc., Lond B., pp. 949–961.
Santruckova H., Bird M.I., Frouz J., Sustr V. and Tajovsky K. 2000. Natural abundance of 13C leaf litter as related to feeding activity of soil invertebrates and microbial mineralisation. Soil Biol. Biochem. 32: 1793–1797.
Sivakumar M.V.K. and Gnoumou F. 1987. Agroclimatologie de l’Afrique de l’Ouest: le Burkina Faso. Bulletin d’information n°23. ICRISAT, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, Inde.
Teklehaimanot Z., Lanek J. and Tomlinson H.F. 1998. Provenance variation in morphology and leaflet anatomy of Parkia biglobosa and its relation to drought tolerance. Trees 13: 96–102.
Tomlinson H., Traore A. and Teklehaimanot Z. 1998. An investigation of root distribution of Parkia biglobosa in Burkina Faso, West Africa, using a logarithmic spiral trench. Forest Ecol. Manage. 107: 173–182.
Van Noordwijk M. and Ong C.K. 1999. Can the ecosystem mimic hypotheses be applied to farms in African savannahs?. Agroforest. Syst. 45: 131–158.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bayala, J., Balesdent, J., Marol, C., Zapata, F., Teklehaimanot, Z., Ouedraogo, S. (2007). Relative contribution of trees and crops to soil carbon content in a parkland system in Burkina Faso using variations in natural 13C abundance. In: Bationo, A., Waswa, B., Kihara, J., Kimetu, J. (eds) Advances in Integrated Soil Fertility Management in sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5760-1_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5760-1_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5759-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5760-1
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)