Stand productivity, carbon content, and soil nutrients in diferent stand ages of Acacia mangium in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

Land degradation and declining soil fertility challenge the productivity of forest plantations. Changes in soil properties couldact as indicators for monitoring forest plantation management and productivity. Tis study highlights changes in soil properties andstand productivity over time (1, 3, and 5 years) in an Acacia mangium plantation in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Soil pH, total Nconcentration, and available P were found to decline signifcantly with stand age. Signifcant diferences were observed between soilorganic C for diferent stand ages, with the youngest stand showing the highest C. Te study showed that the current A. mangium plantation was able to store 74.9, 89.9, and 138.9 t C ha 1 in the 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old stands, respectively, and soil was the maincontributor for the total C pools. All soil chemical attributes showed declining trends with stand age. Tese declines indicated that thepresent management practices are not sustainable and that management inputs are necessary.