Page 170 - Enzymes in Tropical Soils

158 Enzymes In Tropical Soils

phosphatases, urease, and -glucosidase. The activities of these soil enzymes in
the primary forest were the highest, followed by those in the secondary forest and
those in the coffee plantation; and those in the cultivated lands were the lowest
(Table 10.6) (Salam et al., 1998d). These findings are consistent with the previous
findings by Trasar-Cepeda and Gil-Sotres (1988). They reported that the activity of
acid phosphatase was higher in woodland (forest) than that in meadow (secondary
forest) and cornfield (cultivated land). This finding is also consistent with the
finding by Acosta-Martinez et al. (2007) from north central Pourto Rico (Caribbean)
that the activity of -glucosidase was greater in: forest = pasture > agriculture
lands. More than two decades ago, Ho (1979) reported that the activity of acid
phosphatase was significantly greater in soils of pure red alder and red alder–
Douglas-fir forests than in pure conifer forests or in the pasture. Garcia-Morote et
al. (2012) also noted from semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain
that mature woodland showed higher enzymatic and microbiological activities than
the younger woodland; the advanced communities of Juniperus trees and
Rosmarinus shrubs exhibited higher enzymatic and microbial activities than did
grasslands.

Table 10.6. The effects of land-use conversion on some soil enzymatic activities in
Sekincau, West Lampung, Indonesia*.

Soil Acid Alkalin - Urease
Depth Phosphatase Phosphatase Glucosidase
-1
cm mg p-Nitrophenol g h mg Urea g h
-1 -1
-1
Primary 0 – 20 1,092 ND 158 206
Forest 20 – 40 427 349 38 95
Secondary 0 – 20 419 220 79 138
Forest 20 – 40 387 190 39 88
Coffe 0 – 20 352 209 142 166
Plantations 20 – 40 89 33 26 77

Dry Land 0 – 20 238 153 73 108
20 – 40 72 14 19 63
*Adapted from Salam et al. (1998d); ND Not Determined

Abdul Kadir Salam - 2014