Pasture trees in tropical México: the effect of soil nutrients on seedling growth

 

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Martínez-Sánchez, José Luis
Format: artículo original
Status:Versión publicada
Publication Date:2006
Description:Environment and seedling community under isolated trees in pastures are different from those in the open pasture. The effect of the pasture trees on the soil nutrients and on the seedling growth were investigated. Seven isolated trees and eight plots were selected in two pastures of 12-yr and 32-yr old derived from a lowland rain forest with nutrient-rich soil at Los Tuxtlas, México. The soil concentrations of total N, P Bray, K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, plus others physical and chemical characteristics, were compared between the pasture trees and the open -pasture. An experiment was done to test the hypothesis that soil from under the pasture trees was better for seedling growth than soil from the open pasture. Seedlings of two native tree species and two domesticated species were grown in soil from the two different sites in a shade-house. The dry weight of the shoot and root/shoot ratio were compared. Only total N, P and Na+ differed slightly in concentrations between the sites, but did not promote more seedling biomass. It seems that the soil at this location is sufficiently nutrient-rich even in the open pastures and over-ride any effect of the pasture trees on nutrient availability.
Country:Portal de Revistas UCR
Institution:Universidad de Costa Rica
Repositorio:Portal de Revistas UCR
Language:Español
OAI Identifier:oai:portal.ucr.ac.cr:article/13876
Online Access:https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/13876
Access Level:acceso abierto
Keyword:árboles aislados
remanentes
Los Tuxtlas
selva húmeda tropical