Year 2026, Volume 72 Issue 1
| Year : | 2026 |
| Volume : | 72 |
| Issue : | 1 |
| Authors : | Syamsu ALAM, Sahta GINTING, Darwis SULEMAN, Laode M. H. KILOWASID, Muhidin MUHIDIN, Aminuddin M. KANDARI |
| Title : | EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VEGETATION DIVERSITY AND SOIL FERTILITY IN A TROPICAL FOREST ECOSYSTEM OF SOUTHEAST SULAWESI |
| Abstract : | Many studies have investigated the relationship between vegetation density and soil quality. However, the influence of vegetation diversity on soil fertility is still not documented. This study evaluated the relationship between vegetation diversity and soil fertility in a tropical forest ecosystem located in Southeast Celebes. An ecological survey was conducted using the quadrat method at three forest sites in different toposequences, including upper, middle, and lower. Three indicators were selected to describe the vegetation diversity, namely richness, evenness, and heterogeneity. Soil fertility was evaluated by six parameters, including soil acidity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and cation exchange capacity. We used correlation analysis to examine the relationship between the two variables. Nineteen species were recorded from the field observation. The highest species abundance was noted in the lower forest. This site was also superior in richness, heterogeneity, and evenness. Soil fertility among sites was relatively similar, with low values for all parameters. There was no significant correlation between vegetation diversity and soil fertility. Further investigation is still required to verify this finding in other ecosystems. |
| For citation : | Alam, S., Ginting, S., Suleman, D., Kilowasid, L.M.H., Muhidin, M., Kandari, A.M. (2026). Exploring the relationship between vegetation diversity and soil fertility in a tropical forest ecosystem of southeast Sulawesi. Agriculture and Forestry, 72 (1): 373-385. https://doi:10.17707/AgricultForest.72.1.22 |
| Keywords : | soil quality, plant biodiversity, soil organic matter, toposequence |
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