The effects of surrounding grass vegetation covers and height on tropical soil thermal performance
Description
Vegetation cover provides fundamental benefits to soil abiotic quality, and hence, soil health while acting as thermal insulators and cooling agents during extreme weather. Nevertheless, less empirical research has been conducted on the pattern of soil abiotic quality (i.e., soil temperature and soil pH) across different vegetation covers and height with seasonal variations particularly in tropical region. To address this, we tested the effects of different vegetation covers on soil temperature and soil pH at 24 different locations in Pagoh (Malaysia) during the dry (June 2021) and rainy (December 2021) seasons. Our data showed that bare soil had significantly higher mean soil pH (i.e. dry season: 7.26, wet season: 7.08) and temperature (i.e. dry season: 31.37 °C, wet season: 30.26 °C) both in the dry and wet seasons compared to soil with grass covered. Soil pH and soil temperatures decreased significantly with increasing grass cover height. The rise in soil pH was also affected by the increase in soil temperature. Our findings indicate that soil pH and temperature is greatly influenced by the presence of higher grass cover and height. This research emphasizes the importance of prioritizing greater vegetation cover and height for better soil health and environmental quality.
Files
Institutions
- Universiti Tun Hussein Onn MalaysiaJohor, Batu Pahat