DOI: 10.6096/msec.laos.1
title: Soil surface features data, Houay Pano, Laos

description: <b>If using this dataset, please cite Patin et al., 2018 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.05.044" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.05.044</a></b><br>

Soil surface features, including slope gradient, areal percentages of free aggregates, free gravel, structural crust, erosion crust, gravel crust, charcoals, and residues, areal percentages of worm casts and termite pellets, algae, mosses, crop and tree cover, weed and fallow cover at the soil surface, crop and tree height, weed and fallow height, areal percentage of pedestal cover, pedestal maximum height, and pedestal mean height, measured in microplots (1 m2) within the Houay Pano catchment (Laos).<br>
“Secondary forest”: Degraded forest on very shallow and gravelly soils unsuitable for rice. In 2002 and in 2003 the litter was removed from theses plots. In 2010 and 2011 no litter was removed, the microplots were installed in a secondary forest older than 50 years mainly consisting of oaks.<br>
“Upland rice”: Crop/fallow rotations of a single crop of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) followed by a fallow period. Land clearing by slash and burn techniques; no tillage except 1-3 weeding rounds using a small curved hoe. No external fertilizers are applied (Dupin et al., 2009; Huon et al., 2013).<br>
“Maize”: Maize (Zea mays L.) is cultivated in crop/fallow rotation as upland rice (see above), sometimes planted the second year as a follow-up after rice. No tillage is carried out except, if necessary, superficial scraping for weed control with a small curved hoe. No external fertilizers are applied (Dupin et al., 2009; Huon et al., 2013).<br>
“Job’sTears”: Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is cultivated in crop/fallow rotation as upland rice (see above), sometimes planted the second year as a follow-up after rice. No tillage is carried out except, if necessary, superficial scraping for weed control with a small curved hoe. No external fertilizers are applied (Dupin et al., 2009; Huon et al., 2013).<br>
“Fallow-1”: Spontaneous vegetation covers the field one year after the last harvest (rice, maize or Job’s tears). This vegetation consists mostly of arable weeds and resprouting trees and shrubs. Pasture is not part of the crop/fallow system (de Rouw et al., 2015).<br>
“Fallow-2”: Spontaneous vegetation covers the field two years after the last harvest. The vegetation consists mostly of resprouting trees and shrubs, suppressing the arable weeds. Pasture is not part of the crop/fallow system    (de Rouw et al., 2015).<br>
“Fallow-3”: Spontaneous vegetation covers the field three years after the last harvest. This vegetation has the aspect of a dense thicket comprising many young trees, lianas and ferns. It is used by local people for firewood, food, medicine, construction, and hunting (de Rouw et al., 2015).<br>
“Fallow-4”: Spontaneous vegetation covers the field four years after the last harvest. This vegetation is dense thicket developing into a young forest. It is used by local people for firewood, food, medicine, construction, and hunting (de Rouw et al., 2015).<br>
“Grass”: Spontaneous grass growing usually near the stream after the clearing of the woody overstorey. It mainly consists of Microstegium ciliatum A. Camus, a C4 pathway grass (Vigiak et al., 2008).<br>
“Broom grass”: Broom grass (Thysanolaena latifolia (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Honda) was planted as understorey in teak to provide income to farmers through broom making and selling and to protect soil from crusting and detachment. Broom grass grows spontaneously in fallows (Lacombe et al., 2018; Song et al., 2020).<br>
“Bamboo”: Bamboo (six species, both wild and planted) occurs in many places throughout the catchment. The name of the valley “pano” in Laotian meaning “Bamboo sprout” indicates a wild bamboo species whose bitter sprouts were popular. The species, a Phyllostachys has now almost disappeared as a result of cultivation (Vigiak et al., 2008).<br>
“Banana tree”: Banana (Musa sp.) cultivation covered part of the riparian areas but also expanded on the hillslopes (Vigiak et al., 2008).<br>
“Paper mulberry”: A trial with paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) lHér. ex Vent.) was conducted in 2007 as a cash crop. The tree was anticipated to protect the soil better than annual crops. Paper mulberry grows spontaneously in fallows.<br>
“Jatropha curcas”: A trial with Jatropha curcas L. was conducted between 2007 and 2010 as a second generation biofuel crop. This shrub was also anticipated to protect the soil better than annual crops. The plots referred to as “Jatropha curcas” were installed in an already established population with no knowledge whether it originated from seeds or from cuttings.<br>
“Jatropha curcas from seeds”: Jatropha curcas originating from seeds.<br>“Jatropha curcas from cuttings”: Jatropha curcas originating from cuttings.<br>
“Fruit tree”: Plots installed in a small orchard. Fruit trees were mainly mango trees (Mangifera indica L.).<br>
“Young teak”: Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) with open canopy (under 8 years)<br>
“Old teak”: Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) with closed canopy (over 8 years), most often with no or limited understorey due to annual burning and/or weeding by farmers.<br>
“Village”: Plots installed on representative surfaces of the Ban Lak Sip village located downslope of the Houay Pano catchment<br>
“Bare”: Soils kept bare during the rainy season with weeds being periodically cut with scissors.<br>
References:<br>
de Rouw, A., Soulileuth, B., Huon, S., 2015. Stable carbon isotope ratios in soil and vegetation shift with cultivation practices (Northern Laos). Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 200, 161–168. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.11.017" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.11.017</a><br>
Dupin, B., de Rouw, A., Phantahvong, K.B., Valentin, C., 2009. Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steep slopes in northern Laos. Soil Tillage Res. 103, 119–126. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2008.10.005" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2008.10.005</a><br>
Huon, S., de Rouw, A., Bonté, P., Robain, H., Valentin, C., Lefèvre, I., Girardin, C., Le Troquer, Y., Podwojewski, P., Sengtaheuanghoung, O., 2013. Long-term soil carbon loss and accumulation in a catchment following the conversion of forest to arable land in northern Laos. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 169, 43–57. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2013.02.007" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2013.02.007</a><br>
Lacombe, G., Valentin, C., Sounyafong, P., de Rouw, A., Soulileuth, B., Silvera, N., Pierret, A., Sengtaheuanghoung, O., Ribolzi, O., 2018. Linking crop structure, throughfall, soil surface conditions, runoff and soil detachment: 10 land uses analyzed in Northern Laos. Sci. Total Environ. 616–617, 1330–1338. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.185" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.185</a><br>
Song, L., Boithias, L., Sengtaheuanghoung, O., Oeurng, C., Valentin, C., Souksavath, B., Sounyafong, P., de Rouw, A., Soulileuth, B., Silvera, N., Lattanavongkot, B., Pierret, A., Ribolzi, O., 2020. Understory Limits Surface Runoﬀ and Soil Loss in Teak Tree Plantations of Northern Lao PDR. Water 12, 2327. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092327" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092327</a><br>
Vigiak, O., Ribolzi, O., Pierret, A., Sengtaheuanghoung, O., Valentin, C., 2008. Trapping Efficiencies of Cultivated and Natural Riparian Vegetation of Northern Laos. J. Environ. Qual. 37, 889–897. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2007.0251" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2007.0251</a><br>