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AMAZON SOILS
I have worked for many years to understand how deforestation for pasture influences the biogeochemistry of Amazon soils. This work has shown, for example, that deforestation converts landscapes that behave as if they are nitrogen saturated to landscapes that emit much less nitrogen to the atmosphere as trace gases and leach less nitrogen to streams.
Today, one increasingly important use for older and degraded pastures is increasingly intensive management, especially planting of soybeans. With Carlos Cerri, Jerry Melillo and students, we investigate the effects of intensification of pasture agriculture and the expansion of soybean agriculture. We measure changes to the dynamics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. We also measure changes to soil physical properties, emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and nitric oxide and losses of nutrients and dissolved organic matter by leaching.
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Soybeans replacing Amazon forest in Mato Grosso.
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Deep tropical soils support a native transition Amazon forest.
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Frank Base and Shelby Hayhoe sample soils in a soybean field.
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People:
Jerry Melillo
Carlos C. Cerri
Paul Steudler
Carlos C. P. Cerri
Marisa C. Piccolo
Janaína Braga do Carmo
Publications:
Neill, C., M. C. Piccolo, C. C. Cerri, P. A. Steudler and J. M. Melillo. 2006. Soil solution and nitrogen oxide losses during clearing of lowland Amazon forest for cattle pasture. Plant and Soil 281: 233-245.
do Carmo, J. B., C. Neill, D. C. Garcia-Montiel, M. C. Piccol.o, C. C. Cerri, P. A. Steudler, C. A. Andrade, C. C. Passianoto, B. J. Feigl and J. M. Melillo. 2005. Nitrogen dynamics during till and no-till pasture reformation sequences in Rondônia, Brazil. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 71:213-225.
Neill, C., P. A. Steudler, D. C. Garcia-Montiel, J. M. Melillo, B. J. Feigl, M. C. Piccolo, C. C. Cerri. 2005. Rates and controls of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions following conversion of forest to pasture in Rondônia. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 71:1-15.
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