Soil degradation by land use change in an agropastoral area in Sardinia (Italy)

In recent decades the clearing of Mediterranean maquis along with the creation of new pastures has been a
major factor of land degradation in Sardinia (Italy). This was due to an inadequate implementation of
agricultural policies. Consequently, tillage and water erosion intensified over a wide area. The present work
assesses the impacts of land use change on soil properties in a representative area of central-eastern Sardinia.
Paired forest and pasture sampling sites were selected in relation to present land use, land suitability, and
land use history. Different soil properties were considered: physical (sand, silt, clay, soil thickness, bulk
density, and penetration resistance), chemical (pH, OC, N, C/N, Ca, Mg, Na, K, CEC, and BS), biological (BQI),
and micromorphological (microporosity and microstructure). The comparison of forest and pasture soils
showed a significant soil loss (in terms of soil thickness, −22%), and a clear decrease in organic carbon
storage (−64% on average). An increase in bulk density (+44%) and a change in microporosity and its
vertical distribution were also observed, respectively by field measurements and micromorphological
quantification on digital images.