EFFECT OF BAMBOO HARVEST ON DYNAMICS OF NUTRIENT POOLS, N-MINERALIZATION, AND MICROBIAL BIOMASS IN SOIL

The effect of harvesting bamboo savanna on the dynamics of soil nutrie nt pools, N mineralization, and microbial biomass was examined. In the unharvested bamboo site NO3--N in soil ranged from 0.37 to 3.11 mg kg -1 soil and in the harvested site from 0.43 to 3.67 mg kg-1. NaHCO3-ex tractable inorganic P ranged from 0.55 to 3.58 mg kg-1 in the unharves ted site and from 1.01 to 4.22 mg kg-1 in the harvested site. Over two annual cycles, the N mineralization range in the unharvested and harv ested sites was 0-19.28 and 0-24.0 mg kg-1 soil month-1, respectively. The microbial C, N, and P ranges were 278-587, 28-64, and 12-26 mg kg -1 soil, respectively, with the harvested site exhibiting higher value s. Bamboo harvesting depleted soil organic C by 13% and total N by 20% . Harvesting increased N mineralization, resulting in 10 kg ha-1 addit ional mineral N in the first 1st year and 5 kg ha-1 in the 2nd year fo llowing the harvest. Microbial biomass C, N and P increased respective ly by 10, 18, and 5% as a result of bamboo harvesting.