A Comparison of the Effect of Agriculture and Forest Land Use On Soil Quality.

Different land use types are able to affect the health and quality of the soil. Agricultural areas, whether used for pasture or cropland, are susceptible to poor soil quality because of the application of agricultural chemicals, the use of machinery, or the type of cropping system.  Typically forested areas will have better soil quality because they are less susceptible to human disturbances. The objective of this study was to determine how differences in land use type affect the soil’s overall quality. The study was located in the Deer Creek watershed located in Harford County, Maryland on a farm that is comprised of the Neshaminay soil series.  Five land practices were studied:  corn under conservation tillage and conventional tillage, pasture hay and pasture cow and forest.  The forest soil was used as a reference site following the theory of soil degradation. Seven soil quality parameters included in the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) minimum data set were measured.  Soil tests included aggregate stability; bulk density; infiltration; organic matter content; pH; soil respiration; and texture by feel.  Data were tested for normality and appropriate statistical analyses were selected to compare different land use management practices.  Bulk density values were within the expected range for each management scenario; the forested area had the lowest values. Respiration data were compared with standards set by the SSSA; moderate to ideal respiration rates ranged from 7-29 kg CO₂–C acre^-1 day^-1. While the cow pasture and conventional tillage sites had the highest respiration values, all sites had moderate or ideal respiration rates.  Measured soil pH  for all sites agreed well with expected values. The project described was supported by the Delaware EPSCoR through the National Science Foundation Grant EPS-0447610 and Wesley College.