Land-Use Effect on Selected Soil Quality Parameters

Land use is a key factor that affects soil quality. The purpose of the present study was to investigate changes of selected soil chemical properties related to soil function under different land uses. Five experimental sites arranged in a complete randomized blocks located within the Kalloni watershed (Lesvos Island, Greece) corresponding to different land uses (Pinus brutia forest, brushwood pasture, rain-fed olive grove, wheat, and maize) were compared for soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (N), nitrate N (NO3-N), Olsen phosphorus (P), and organic matter. Soil nitrate and P concentration were in the order corn > wheat > olive > pasture > forest. Soil EC and NO3-N showed significant within-year variability only in the corn and wheat systems. Corn and wheat had the lowest soil organic-matter content followed the order forest > pasture > olive grove = wheat = corn. However, total N did not significantly differ among land uses.