Impact of Different Land Use Management on Soil Enzyme Activities in
Missouri River Floodplains
Abstract
Land management activities that provide higher soil organic carbon
stimulate microbial activity and enzymatic reactions. Riparian forest,
agroforestry, and row-crop agriculture treatments are among common
land-use systems in the lower Missouri River Floodplain (MRF) region in
New Franklin, MO. The study of soil enzyme activities under different
land use in this region is of importance for monitoring soil quality and
evaluation of climatic changes on soil health. This investigation aimed
to characterize soil properties such as soil C and N, porosity, moisture
content under three-land use (agroforestry, riparian forest, and
agriculture) and correlate their influence on soil microbial communities
and enzyme activities. Soil samples were collected from the three land
management systems, and enzyme activity was measured in three seasons of
Fall 2019, Summer 2020, and Spring 2021. Results revealed significantly
higher levels of β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and dehydrogenase
activity in agroforestry (AF) and riparian forest (RF) treatments
relative to agriculture (AG) management in all three studied seasons.
Dehydrogenase activity was higher (p<0.0001) in RF relative to
AF and AG sites. Efforts to incorporate perennial management systems in
river-floodplain landscapes will help increase organic matter content,
which stimulates microbial diversity and soil enzyme activity as well as
improving the performance of conservation buffers. The study concluded
that tree-based AF systems enhance soil physicochemical and biological
properties.