Soil Chemistry in Native and Invaded Subtropical Forest Plots of Argentina

2023 data from Horco Molle, Tucumán, Argentina, provides soil chemical measurements for native and Ligustrum lucidum-invaded forest plots. The dataset supports two aims: characterizing soils for restoration management and assessing invasion impacts on soil chemistry. Samples were collected at multiple depths for parameters including organic carbon, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, and pH.

Use Cases

• Compare organic carbon, total nitrogen, and pH levels between native and invaded forest plots to quantify invasion impacts.
• Analyze extractable phosphorus and cation exchange capacity across three soil depths (0-10, 10-30, 30-50 cm) to understand nutrient stratification.
• Model relationships between exchangeable cations (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium) and soil pH in subtropical montane forest environments.
• Assess belowground carbon storage potential using organic carbon data from litter and soil samples in restoration management plots.

Strengths

• Includes soil samples from three distinct depths (0-10, 10-30, 30-50 cm) per collection point.
• Covers multiple chemical parameters: organic carbon, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable cations, and pH.
• Data collected from plots of defined sizes, including 3.36-hectare plots established in 2020 and 1-hectare permanent plots established in 1991.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited, with samples taken from only five to seven random points per plot.
• Geographic scope is restricted to a specific experimental reserve and park in Tucumán, Argentina, limiting generalizability.
• The dataset's temporal coverage for comparative analysis is unclear beyond the 2023 collection date and the 1991 establishment of some plots.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Field collection of litter and soil samples at random points within forest plots, with subsequent laboratory analysis for physical and chemical parameters.

Time Range

Primary data collection in 2023, with some plots established in 2020 and others in 1991.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, with primary data collection in 2023.

Geography

Horco Molle experimental reserve and Parque Sierra de San Javier, Tucumán, Argentina (subtropical mountain secondary forests/Yungas).