Soil fertility differences across a land-use intensification gradient in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico

In the highlands of Chiapas, southern Mexico, soil texture and soil chemical properties were measured in 70 agricultural fields covering a range of slope positions and managements. Fields represented four corn cropping systems: long fallow, short fallow, pasture–cultivation rotation, and annual continuous cultivation, in addition to fallow at rest (forest, shrubland, and pastures). Fields were located in four slope positions (upper, middle, and lower slopes, and doline floor) in a karst landscape developed on limestone with additions of acid volcanic ashes. Distribution of clays and sands were related to the toposequence and the percentage of clay fraction increased from upper slope to doline floor. Sand presented a reverse pattern. Some soil chemical properties also vary in a characteristic way along the toposequence. Exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and pH were higher in the doline floor than in the other slope positions. Soil organic matter and total N contents were 30.4 and 35.2% higher under long fallow than under annual continuous cultivation. Soil Olsen P was greater under cultivation than under fallow (irrespective of the cropping system), with the highest values under annual continuous cultivation (16.2±8.3 mg kg−1) and the lowest in the forest (5.3±2.5 mg kg−1). Exchangeable K+ was 74 and 51% higher in cultivated plots of the long and the short fallow than under forest and shrubland, respectively. Exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ and ECEC did not vary significantly among the cropping systems. Inputs of basic cations through burning of tree and shrub vegetation increased the soil pH. These results indicate that land use intensification is leading to a decline in soil organic matter and total N, whereas Olsen P increased with intensification due to the continuous application of P fertilizers and sheep manure as soil conditioners in intensively cultivated fields.