Articles | Volume 2, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-101-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-101-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Original research article
| 
09 Mar 2016
Original research article |
| 09 Mar 2016
Soil microbial communities following bush removal in a Namibian savanna
Jeffrey S. Buyer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
USDA, ARS, BARC, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
Anne Schmidt-Küntzel
Cheetah Conservation Fund, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
Matti Nghikembua
Cheetah Conservation Fund, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
Jude E. Maul
USDA, ARS, BARC, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
Laurie Marker
Cheetah Conservation Fund, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
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Short summary
Savannas represent most of the world’s livestock grazing land and are suffering worldwide from bush encroachment and desertification. We studied soil under bush and grass in a bush-encroached savanna in Namibia. With bush removal, there were significant changes in soil chemistry and microbial community structure, but these changes gradually diminished with time. Our results indicate that the ecosystem can substantially recover over a time period of approximately 10 years following bush removal.
Savannas represent most of the world’s livestock grazing land and are suffering worldwide from...
