Soil Nutrient Dynamics in a Tropical Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Plantation Affected by Bushfire

Abstract.

            The study examined soil nutrient dynamics in a tropical oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantation affected by bushfire. Sand, silt, clay, pH, bulk density (BD), effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC), soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Avl P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) were analyzed in the laboratory using standard soil analytical procedures. A 100 m × 100 m sample area was demarcated in the unburnt and burnt portions of the Elaeis guineensis plantation, from which ten soil samples were collected each using the stratified random sampling technique at 15 m intervals, and at a depth of 0-15 cm (topsoil). The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and the student’s t-test. The findings revealed multifaceted responses of soil properties to bushfire. Results showed that, except for silt (188.00 g kg⁻¹), clay (31.70 g kg⁻¹), ECEC (3.44 g kg⁻¹), Ca (2.38 g kg⁻¹), Na (0.21 g kg⁻¹), and Mg (0.57 g kg⁻¹), the concentration levels of sand (813.10 g kg⁻¹), pH (5.81), SOM (4.06 g kg⁻¹), SOC (2.34 g kg⁻¹), TN (0.17 g kg⁻¹), available P (3.68 g kg⁻¹), and K (0.27 g kg⁻¹) were higher in the burnt areas of the Elaeis guineensis plantation. The study demonstrated significant positive impacts on K, while its effects on ECEC, Ca, Mg, and Na were significantly negative.