DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bc72mt7
title: Data from: Atlantic Forest topsoil nutrients can be resistant to disturbance and forest clearing

description: Human impacts can affect soil properties through erosion and leaching when
 vegetation is removed, the ecosystem functions and, consequently, the
 capacity of a forest to regenerate. Here, we determine the effects of
 forest disturbance and succession on selected soil chemical properties
 using two different approaches, before-after control-impact (BACI) and
 space-for-time (SFT) substitution, and the threatened Atlantic Forest
 biome as model. We assessed with BACI the long-term (37-yr) effects of
 clear-cutting on soil properties by comparing data from two topsoil
 surveys (1978-2017) divided in two treatments: a preserved old-growth
 forest (control) and an adjacent forest that was experimentally cleared
 with full tree removal (clear-cut). We examined with SFT the relationship
 between stand age and soil properties using soil data from three
 old-growth and 13 second-growth forests ranging from 7 to 33 yr. We found
 no significant differences between treatments for any soil property nor
 significant changes in phosphorus, potassium and calcium + magnesium over
 time. In contrast, pH increased and aluminium decreased in both areas. No
 relation was found between forest age and most of soil properties, with
 the exception of potassium which returned to old-growth forest levels
 after 20 yr of natural succession, and pH. BACI indicated that
 deforestation of old-growth forest caused no significant effects on soil
 chemical properties after 37 yr of regeneration. SFT demonstrated that
 soil properties did not change significantly during forest regeneration on
 formerly disturbed lands. Our findings indicate that natural
 nutrient-depleted lowland forests were overall resistant to deforestation
 followed by passive regeneration at landscape-scale.
description: Soil chemical properties
 content of an old-growth forests (control) and a second-growth forest
 (clear-cut) assessed with a before-after-control-impact
 approachSoil samples were
 collected within five plots in two different years (1978, 2017) and two
 forest treatments: old-growth forest (control) and second-growth forest
 (clear-cut). The data presented in the file are the soil properties
 content of each plot. Abbreviations: year = sampling year; treatment =
 control or clear-cut; rep = plot; pH = pH H2O; Al = Exchangeable Al (cmolc
 kg-1); Ca_Mg = Exchangeable Ca+Mg (cmolc kg-1); P = Available P (mg kg-1);
 K = Exchangeable K (cmolc kg-1)BACI_soil.xlsxMean soil chemical properties content of three old-growth forests assessed with a space-for-time substitution approachSoil samples were collected within ten plots in three old-growth forests. The data presented in the file are the mean content of soil properties of the three old-growth forests studied. Abbreviations: C_ph = pH H2O; C_Al_trocavel = Exchangeable Al (cmolc kg-1); C_Ca_Mg = Exchangeable Ca+Mg (cmolc kg-1); C_P_ppm = Available P (mg kg-1); C_K_cmolc = Exchangeable K (cmolc kg-1)SFT_OGFmean.xlsxMean soil chemical properties content of three old-growth forests and 13 second-growth forests assessed with a space-for-time substitution approachSoil samples were collected within ten plots in three old-growth forests (mature) and 13 second-growth forests at different ages. The data presented in the file are the mean content of soil properties of each forest studied. Abbreviations: area_number = ID or number of the fragment; stage = successional stage of the fragment; ph = pH H2O; Al_trocavel = Exchangeable Al (cmolc kg-1); Ca_Mg = Exchangeable Ca+Mg (cmolc kg-1); P_ppm = Available P (mg kg-1); K_cmolc = Exchangeable K (cmolc kg-1)SFT_OGFxSGF.xlsxMean soil chemical properties content of 13 second-growth forests assessed with a space-for-time substitution approachSoil samples were collected within ten plots in 13 second-growth forests at different ages. The data presented in the file are the mean content of soil properties of each second-growth forest studied. Abbreviations: area_number = ID or number of the fragment; age = second-growth forest age; ph = pH H2O; Al_trocavel = Exchangeable Al (cmolc kg-1); Ca_Mg = Exchangeable Ca+Mg (cmolc kg-1); P_ppm = Available P (mg kg-1); K_cmolc = Exchangeable K(cmolc kg-1)SFT_SGFmean.xlsx