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A soil quality index for seven productive landscapes in the Andean-Amazonian foothills of Ecuador
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  • Carlos Bravo-Medina,
  • Frank Goyes-Vera,
  • Yasiel Arteaga-Crespo,
  • Yudel Garcia-Quintana,
  • Daysi Changoluisa
Carlos Bravo-Medina
Universidad Estatal Amazónica

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Frank Goyes-Vera
Universidad Estatal Amazonica
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Yasiel Arteaga-Crespo
Universidad Estatal Amazonica
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Yudel Garcia-Quintana
Universidad Estatal Amazonica
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Daysi Changoluisa
Universidad Estatal Amazonica
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Abstract

Few studies have comprehensively evaluated the effect of changing land use on the soil quality in Ecuadorian amazon region that subject to continued deforestation processes. This study evaluated the influence of different types of land use on soil quality using an integrated soil quality index (SQI) with minimum set of indicators, based on 140 soil samples from 7 land use types, in seven productive distinct landscapes in the Pastaza province, Ecuador. The land use type evaluated were: Chakra_A, Chakra_B, Chakra_C, Cattle_A, Cattle_B, Cattle_C and Forest. Land use type had significant effects on soil properties and thus on soil quality. Soil quality index was developed by using, AP, Zn, TOC, BD and LL; AP and Zn had highest weighting values (0.38), which indicated that these indicators contributed the most to final SQI. In general, the SQI decreased as soil depth increased and for each type of land use, in the surface layer (0-10cm) the uses of Chakra_A (0.46) and forest (0.44) showed the highest SQI, while for the second depth (10-30cm), Chakra_A (0.45) and Chakra_B (0.43) presented significantly higher SQIs than the other land uses. The applied SQI can be used to assess the effect of changes on land use on soil quality in other landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region.
11 Jul 2020Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
14 Jul 2020Submission Checks Completed
14 Jul 2020Assigned to Editor
31 Jul 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
08 Sep 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Sep 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
20 Oct 20201st Revision Received
20 Oct 2020Assigned to Editor
20 Oct 2020Submission Checks Completed
13 Dec 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 Dec 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
18 Dec 20202nd Revision Received
18 Dec 2020Assigned to Editor
18 Dec 2020Submission Checks Completed
19 Dec 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Dec 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Dec 20203rd Revision Received
23 Dec 2020Submission Checks Completed
23 Dec 2020Assigned to Editor
24 Dec 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Dec 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
14 Jan 20214th Revision Received
15 Jan 2021Assigned to Editor
15 Jan 2021Submission Checks Completed
16 Jan 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Jan 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
17 Jan 20215th Revision Received
18 Jan 2021Submission Checks Completed
18 Jan 2021Assigned to Editor
20 Jan 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
20 Jan 2021Editorial Decision: Accept