Randriamalala J. R., Hervé Dominique, Randriamboavonjy J. C., Carrière Stéphanie M.. (2012). Effects of tillage regime, cropping duration and fallow age on diversity and structure of secondary vegetation in Madagascar. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 155, p. 182-193. ISSN 0167-8809.
Titre du document
Effects of tillage regime, cropping duration and fallow age on diversity and structure of secondary vegetation in Madagascar
Randriamalala J. R., Hervé Dominique, Randriamboavonjy J. C., Carrière Stéphanie M.
Source
Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 2012,
155, p. 182-193 ISSN 0167-8809
The objective of this paper is to determine the effects of tillage regime, cropping duration and fallow age on the diversity, structure and floristic composition of secondary vegetation in a tropical forest of eastern Madagascar. Tillage regime was divided into three categories: (1) no tillage, (2) light tillage (local shallow tillage <10 cm deep) and (3) heavy tillage (tillage of the whole plot, 10-20 cm deep). Cropping duration was divided into three classes: (i) short (1-2 years), (ii) medium (3-4 years) and (iii) long (5-15 years). Eighty-nine fallows subdivided in three regrowth age classes (1-5; 6-10 and 11-29 years) were surveyed. We found that heavy tillage regime was associated with a long cropping duration favouring the establishment of herbaceous and wind-dispersed species and reducing species richness, basal area and maximal height. The recovery of species richness and maximum height was faster under no till compared to heavy tillage. Heavy tillage regime favours proliferation of herbaceous species in the middle age regrowths (6-10 years). Long cropping duration (5-15 years) slowed down the recovery rate of maximal height in the old regrowths (11-29 years). A blockage of secondary succession was never found but a total forest recovery takes a longer time when heavy tillage and long cropping duration were observed.
Plan de classement
Sciences du monde végétal [076]
;
Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082]
