@article{fdi:010066095,
  title = {{L}inking historical land use to present vegetation and soil characteristics under slash-and-burn cultivation in {M}adagascar},
  author = {{R}andrianarison, {A}. and {S}chlaepfer, {R}. and {M}ills, {R}. and {H}erv{\'e}, {D}ominique and {R}azanaka, {S}. and {R}akotoarimanana, {V}. and {C}arri{\`e}re, {S}t{\'e}phanie {M}. and {B}uttler, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}im: {I}n this paper, we link historical land use of cultivated parcels formerly slashed and burnt, with current secondary vegetation and soil characteristics, in the region of evergreen rain forest in {M}adagascar. {A}im is to understand the legacy effect of former cultivation practices in order to optimize slash-and-burn cultivation. {L}ocation: {F}orest corridor of {F}ianarantsoa, southeast {M}adagascar. {M}ethods: {W}e examined three study sites to capture the ecological range in the forest corridor of {F}ianarantsoa. {A}t each site, we selected formerly hand-cultivated parcels since first forest clearing so as to represent up to four classes of age of abandonment, encompassing forest fallow periods after cultivation of 0-5, 6-10, 11-20 and 21-30 yrs. {T}hese parcels served for selection of 50 plots. {I}nterviews were conducted with each farmer to document former cultivation practices of the parcels, and from these, land-use metrics were calculated. {V}egetation was surveyed in the plots and soil samples were taken and analysed for chemical and physical properties of the organo-mineral layer (horizon {A}). {R}esults: {W}e found that soil properties, such as p{H}, have higher values with an increasing number of cultivation cycles and duration of cultivation, and that this trend is inversely related to exchangeable {P}. {C}/{N} ratio is correlated to age of abandonment, and inversely related to soil {N} content. {W}ith increasing age of abandonment, species richness and diversity increase due mainly to an increase in ligneous species. {T}he number of herbaceous and fern species increases with duration of cultivation and number of cultivation cycles. {C}onclusion: {H}istorical land use has had a lasting effect on vegetation and even longer-term effect on soils. {D}ifferent land-use variables explain soil and vegetation characteristics of the current secondary forest. {T}he ability of soils to recover {P} appears unrelated to abandonment duration, suggesting that longer periods of time are required to recover {P} fertility, or that secondary vegetation is shifting the pool of nutrients into biomass. {O}ur results point to the need for a management regime that would maintain both scattered trees and patches of a grass layer, since this might be key to promoting both biodiversity and soil restoration.},
  keywords = {{E}vergreen rain forest ; {M}adagascar ; {S}econdary vegetation ; {S}hifting ; cultivation ; {S}oil fertility ; {MADAGASCAR}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}pplied {V}egetation {S}cience},
  volume = {19},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {40--52},
  ISSN = {1402-2001},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1111/avsc.12202},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010066095},
}