Evaluation of biochemical parameters in a Calcaric Skeletic Cambisol under different ground uses

Abstract

The objective of this study is to quantify the activity of the dehydrogenase, ß-glucosidase, and the urease in soil with different uses, with the purpose of establishing potential measures of the chemical degradation. Four different soil uses of the same soil (Calcaric Skeletic Cambisol) were studied: an active olive grove (O1); an abandoned olive grove (O2); reforested pine grove (P) and natural gall-oak grove (Q). In addition to the dehydrogenase, urease, and ß-glucosidase activities, the following chemical parameters were analyzed: pH, electric conductivity, oxidizable organic matter, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen. The quantification of the dehydrogenase and urease activities showed the same behavior pattern (r = 0.54, P < 0.01), the highest activity was found in the gall-oak grove and the minor for the active olive grove. The ß-glucosidase activity results showed that the organic matter in the abandoned olive grove had higher cellulose content than the organic matter in the others uses. If the natural fertility of the different uses is studied, we can conclude that the active olive grove was the most degraded, followed by the pine grove. On the other hand, the gall-oak grove presented the highest fertility, and the abandoned olive grove potential fertility, which are in accordance with the activity of the ß-glucosidase.