000			02105nam a2200277Ia 4500
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100			_aKrishnakumar A K
245		0	_aEcological impact of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations in North East India. 1. Influence on soil physical properties with special reference to moisture retention
260			_bIndian Journal of Natural Rubber Research _c1990
300			_a53-63
520			_aAn attempt is made to quantify the influence of rubber plantation on soil physical properties with special reference to moisture retention. It was observed that rubber plantations, adopting proper agro-management practices, helped in the enrichment of organic matter which consequently improved physical properties such as bulk density, soil porosity, moisture retention and infiltration. An increase in organic matter in the surface layer was recorded. Moisture retained at field capacity a(-0.033 MPa) was higher by 5.45 per cent. A higher available water storage capacity (AWSC) was also recorded in the samples from plantation. The moisture desorption pattern showed that at -0.5 MPa 90.34 per cnet of the available moisture was desorbed from surface soils from the rubber plantation whereas from outside the plantation in the same layer only 67.38 per cent was desorbed. Infiltration studies revealed that flow rates initially and after attaining steady state were respectively 67.5 and 138 per cent higher inside the plantation, compared to the field subjected to shifting cultivation. A preliminary study conducted to compare the other forestry species on their influence on soil moisture retention also has been presented.
650			_aEcology
650			_aField capacity
650			_aHevea brasiliensis
650			_aInfiltration rate
650			_aMoisture retention
650			_aOrganic matter enrichment
650			_aRubber plantation
650			_aShifting cultivation
650			_aSoil physical properties
700			_aEappen T
700			_aPotty S N
700			_aRao D V K N
700			_aSethuraj M R
942			_cJS
999			_c57560 _d57560