The Evaluation of Soil Fertility on Forest Conservation in Myanmar

Tin Maung Oo201426042

University of TsukubaJDS International Seminar

2015/12/15

Outline

Introduction

Methodology

Results & Discussion

Conclusion

References

IntroductionMyanmar

Latitude 19˚,32΄ N and 28˚,31΄ NLongitudes 92˚10΄E And 101˚11΄E

261,228 square mile (676,581 sq Km).

(N-S 1275 miles (2052km), E-W 582miles (937km))

54,584,650 (2012)(Density per sqkm = 72 )

Area

Population

Location

Land Use

Source : FRA (2010)

47%

30%

20%

3%

ForestOther Wooded LandOther LandInland & Water bodies

Role of Forestry

o 10% of export from forest & agricultural products.

o 70% of rural population mainly Depended on forest & products;

- Houses

- Firewood & charcoal

- Agriculture

57.96

51.5449.25

46.96

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1990 2000 2005 20100

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010

Fore

st c

over

(%)

Year

Mea

n an

nual

De

fore

stat

ion

rate

(%)

Year

Forest cover changes during (1990-2010)

Source: Country Report, Myanmar (FRA, 2010)

0.95

Environmental Issues

Decreasing forest areas bycommercial logging, shiftingcultivation in highland area.

Agricultural conversion and landused changes.

Lower soil quality, landdegradation and seasonalchanges.

Soil Information of Myanmar

1. 1955-1957, Myanmar and Russian scientists conductedsoil classification, headed by Dr. B.G. Rosanov.

2. 1965, first schematic soil map of Myanmar.

3. 1970, modified the classification correlated withFAO/UNESCO classification system.

Soil Classification System,1. Physical and mineral composition of parent material.2. The relief (physical feature)3. The climate under which soil material has been developed.4. The vegetation.

The soil surveys did not cover the whole country.

Red earth & Yellow earth(Ferric Arcrisol)

Red brownForest soil

Yellow brownForest soil

Source: Myanmar Agriculture and Land use Division

Soil Map

Research Objectives

1. To identify morphology, characteristicsand physico-chemical properties of soilsunder different forests.

2. To study the forest types, conditions andmanagement.

3. To provides references for appropriate forest conservation.

DefinitionsSoil fertilitySoil fertility is the capacity of soil to support plant growth and the manybeneficial processes that occur in soil. There are three major interactioncomponents, chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil.

Forest conservationThe measure concerned with the protection and preservation of forest lands and resources.

MethodologyStudy Area

Mt. Popa

General Features

Located between 20˚55΄27´´ N and 95˚15΄02´´E.

Area – 10,000 ha (88.7% forest cover)

Extinct volcano (last erupted in about 3,500 year ago)

45 villages are located surrounding area.

Elevation ranges from 300 to 1500 m above sea level.

Mean temperature – Minimum 8.52˚C, Maximum 31.30˚C

Mean annual rainfall – about 1170 mm

In 1989, subsequently declared as Protected Area (PA)

Road

Other forest

Road Source: Popa forest Department

Site 1

Site 3

Site 2

Reserved forest

CampsVillages

Study Sites

Site 1

Location- N20˚55´24.2˝E95˚12´59.7˝

Date of survey- 2015/2/24

Site 2

Location- N20°55´29.0˝E 95˚12´57.7˝

Date of survey- 2015/2/25

Site 3

Location- N20˚55´19.1˝E95°14´00.8˝

Date of survey-2015/2/26

Mt. Popa

Profile No. Altitude Material Climate/Weather Erosion DrainageHuman effect

Site 1 774m Volcanic

ash Tropical seasonal

forest climate/ sunny

Very slightly Well None

Site 2 757 mVolcanic

ashTropical seasonal

forest climate/ sunny

Very slightly Well None

Site 3 1067mVolcanic

ashTropical seasonal

Pinus forest climate/sunny

Very slightly Well None

Physical conditions of Study Sites

Landscape & Soil Profile Description

(a) Site 1 (b) Site 2 (c) Site 3

Oi Oi OiOe

Soil Profile Morphology

Chemical Analysis

Analysis Method

pH Glass electrode pH meter

EC Platinum electrode EC counter

C/N Dry combustion method with NC analyzer(SUMIGRAPH NC-900)

Ex. Cation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)(AA-6200)

CEC Stream Distillation Method.

Experiments

Pre-process EC-Analysis

pH-Analysis N/C-Analysis

CEC-Analysis Ex.Cation Analysis

Results & Discussion

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

A Bw Bt1 Bt2 Bc A AB Bt1 Bt2 A1 A2 AB Bw BC

pH

Site 2

pH

EC (m

S/m

)

Site 1 Site 3

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

3.17

1.54 1.411.04 0.89

2.83

1.41

0.84 0.72

4.43

2.22

1.15 0.97 0.87

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

A Bw Bt1 Bt2 Bc A AB Bt1 Bt2 A1 A2 AB Bw BC

Electric Conductivity

pH (H2O)pH (KCl)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

A Bw Bt1 Bt2 Bc A AB Bt1 Bt2 A1 A2 AB Bw BC

Ex. Cation

Na

K

Mg

Ca

Cont

ent (

cmol

(+)/

kg-d

ry

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

A Bw Bt1 Bt2 Bc A AB Bt1 Bt2 A1 A2 AB Bw BC

Cont

ent (

cmol

(+)/

kg-d

ry)

CEC

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

A Bw Bt1 Bt2 Bc A AB Bt1 Bt2 A1 A2 AB Bw BC

TC

TN

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Cont

ent (

g/kg

)Organic Carbon & Total Nitrogen contents

Forest types in Mt. Popa

1.Dry mixed deciduous forest

2.Dry dipterocarp forest

3.Dry forest

4.Dry hill or evergreen forest

Source: Y. Y. Aye et al., (2014)

Dominant Species in DMDF

Scientific Name SD (n/h) Relative density (%)

Shorea obtusa Wall. 103 9.71

Croton roxburghiamus N. P. Balakr 100 9.43

Pittosporum napaulensis (DG) Rehder Wilson 76 7.16

Bixa orellana. L 64 6.03

Terminalia crenulata (Heyne) Roth 41 3.86

Flacourtia cataphracta Roxb 45 4.24

Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb 17 1.61

Others 316 57.96

Total 762 100

Source: Y. Y. Aye et al., (2014)

Comparative Study to Japanese Volcanic Soils

Bekkai soil Mukaiyam soil Tsutanuma soil

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Physico-chemical Properties

Popa Volcanic Soils Japanese Volcanic Soils

Good physical properties. Most volcanic soils have excellent physical properties.

Medium water-holding capacity.

High water-holding capacity.

Well resistance to water erosion.

Strong resistance to water erosion.

Not so good as Japanese V.S. Good mineral weathering.S. SHOJI and T. TAKASHI, 2012.

Differences- Age of Eruption, Geology and Weather condition.

Conclusion

Forest conservation is an important component of climatechange mitigation strategies in the region.

Higher plant biomass and well developed threes in site 3,than other.

Well developed topsoil (organic matters) , wide and deepdistribution plant roots.

Higher pH, CEC, TN, TC and higher moisture content.

Well conserved forest caused well developed soil fertility.

Results provided references for forest conservation.

Future Plan

1. To analyze soil types by Acidic Oxalate Dissolution,Pyrophosphate Dissolve and Dithionite-citrateReduction Dissolution methods.

2. To analyze mineral composition sand fraction andparticle size distribution.

References1. Y.Y. Aye, et al, (2014), Floristic Composition, Diversity and Stand Structure

of Tropical Forests in Popa Mountain Park. Journal of EnvironmentalProtection, 5.1588-1602.

2. H. T. Aung, (2003), Myanmar; the study of processes and patterns, formerRector and former Professor of geography, University of Mawhlamyine.

3. T. T. Myint, (2012), A Study on the sustainable management of natural teakforests in Myanmar, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences,

The University of Tokyo.

4. S. Shoji and T. Takahashi, (2012), Environmental and agricultural significant ofvolcanic ash soil, Graduate school of agriculture sciences, Tohoku university.

Thank You for Your Attention

Tin Maung Oo201426042

2015/11/02