Temporal variation of soil compaction and deterioration of soil quality in pasture areas of Colombian Amazonia

In the Amazon basin, tropical rainforest is being slashed and burned at accelerated rates for annual crops over a couple of years, followed by forage grasses. Because of poor management, the productivity of established pastures declines in a few years so that grazing plots are abandoned and new areas are deforested. Previous studies in the region report higher bulk density in soils under pasture than in similar soils under forest. The objective of this study was to detect changes in the physical quality of the topsoil of nutrient-poor Typic Paleudults in the colonisation area of Guaviare, Colombian Amazonia, and analyse the effect of soil deterioration on pasture performance. Temporal variation of soil compaction under pasture was analysed by comparing natural forest taken as control and pasture plots of Brachiaria decumbens (Stapf) grouped into three age ranges (<3, 3–9, >9 years). Evidence of soil compaction through cattle trampling, after clearing the primary forest, included the formation of an Ap horizon with platy structure and dominant greyish or olive colours, reflecting impaired surface drainage, the increase of bulk density and penetration resistance, and the decrease of porosity and infiltration rate. From primary forest to pastures older than 9 years, bulk density of the 5–10 cm layer increase was 42% in fine-textured soils and 30% in coarse-textured soils. Penetration resistance ranged from 0.45 MPa under forest to 4.25 MPa in old pastures, with maximum values occurring at 3–12 cm depth in pastures older than 9 years. Average total soil porosity was 58–62% under forest and 46–49% under pasture. Basic infiltration dropped from 15 cm h−1 in the original forest conditions to less than 1 cm h−1 in old pastures. Crude protein content and dry matter yield of the forage grass steadily decreased over time. No clear relationship between declining protein content as a function of pasture age and changes in chemical soil properties was found, but there was a high negative correlation (r=−0.81) between protein content and bulk density, reflecting the effect of soil compaction on pasture performance. After about 9–10 years of use, established grass did no longer compete successfully with invading weeds and grazing plots were abandoned. As land is not yet a scarcity in this colonisation area, degraded pastures are seldom rehabilitated.