Impacts of land use change on soil quality indicators in eastern Ardabil province

The impacts of land use change on the soil quality in Fandoghlou region of Ardabil province at three adjacent forest (F), range (R) and cultivated (C) lands was studied. Thirty soil samples were collected from each land use and measured some their quality indices. Land use change from F to R and C decreased mean of OC from 5.8 to 3.08 and 2.24 %, N from 0.46 to 0.22 and 0.11 %, MWD of aggregates from 1.28 to 0.97 and 0.35 mm, hydraulic conductivity from 0.49 to 0.35 and 0.20 cm min-1, respiration from 0.90 to 0.36 and 0.30 mg CO2 g-1day-1, K from 545.07 to 289.07 and 105.14 mg kg-1, P from 55.18 to 27.67 and 51.98 mg kg-1, porosity from 54.11 to 46.67 and 37.3 % and increased mean of calcium carbonate from 5.57 to 9.93 and 11.98 %, sand from 54.82 to 57.83 and 60.76 % and pH from 5.66 to 6.73 and 6.82, respectively. The highest significant positive correlation was found between OC and N (r = 0.897**). The results of factor analysis showed that three factors justified higher than 95 percent of variance in sand, 83 percent of variance in OC, N, K, clay and silt and 73 percent of variance in pH, respiration and porosity and 60 percent of variance in P. Therefore, land use change from F to R and C reduced soil quality in the studied area.