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<p>Shifting cultivation is a traditional agricultural practice that involves clearing and burning forest vegetation, cultivating crops for 1–3&#xa0;years, and fallowing for natural regeneration. A critical component of this recovery is the interaction between plants, soil, and rhizospheric microbes. Since shifting cultivation is a major cultivation practice in Nagaland, yet its impacts on soil health, vegetation succession, and microbial communities are poorly understood. This study aims to understand how fallow age influences vegetation dynamics, as well as soil fertility and plant-microbial interactions associated with dominant plant species. This study examines how fallow age influences plant–soil–microbe interactions by comparing four fallow stages—F1 (1-year), F (2-year), F8 (8-year), and F9 (9-year), in Zaphumi village, Zunheboto district, Nagaland. Importance Value Index (IVI)analysis identified <i>Thysanolaena</i> sp. as dominant in F1 (IVI = 30.9) and <i>Schima wallichii</i> in F9 (IVI = 33.1). Younger fallows (F1, F) exhibited higher plant richness and diversity (Shannon index = 3.17 in F1), while older fallows (F8, F9) showed greater species evenness and dominance. Soil analyses revealed significantly higher organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and moisture in older fallows, with one-way ANOVA confirming significant differences (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) across sites. Microbial counts (CFU g⁻<sup>1</sup> soil) were also elevated in older fallow. Among 132 isolates screened for plant growth-promoting traits, F9 harbored the highest proportion of IAA, phosphate, and siderophore-producing bacteria and fungi, as validated by chi-square tests. These findings demonstrate that fallow age critically influences soil fertility, vegetation composition, and microbial functionality. Moreover, dominant plant species not only mirror successional stages but also shape microbial diversity and function, highlighting their central role in ecosystem recovery and sustainable soil management in shifting cultivation systems.</p>

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Descriptive analysis of plant-soil-microbe interactions in early and late successional shifting cultivation fallow lands in northeast india

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月8日

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  • Jonming Chetia,
  • Neizo Puro,
  • Chitta Ranjan Deb

摘要

Shifting cultivation is a traditional agricultural practice that involves clearing and burning forest vegetation, cultivating crops for 1–3 years, and fallowing for natural regeneration. A critical component of this recovery is the interaction between plants, soil, and rhizospheric microbes. Since shifting cultivation is a major cultivation practice in Nagaland, yet its impacts on soil health, vegetation succession, and microbial communities are poorly understood. This study aims to understand how fallow age influences vegetation dynamics, as well as soil fertility and plant-microbial interactions associated with dominant plant species. This study examines how fallow age influences plant–soil–microbe interactions by comparing four fallow stages—F1 (1-year), F (2-year), F8 (8-year), and F9 (9-year), in Zaphumi village, Zunheboto district, Nagaland. Importance Value Index (IVI)analysis identified Thysanolaena sp. as dominant in F1 (IVI = 30.9) and Schima wallichii in F9 (IVI = 33.1). Younger fallows (F1, F) exhibited higher plant richness and diversity (Shannon index = 3.17 in F1), while older fallows (F8, F9) showed greater species evenness and dominance. Soil analyses revealed significantly higher organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and moisture in older fallows, with one-way ANOVA confirming significant differences (p < 0.05) across sites. Microbial counts (CFU g⁻1 soil) were also elevated in older fallow. Among 132 isolates screened for plant growth-promoting traits, F9 harbored the highest proportion of IAA, phosphate, and siderophore-producing bacteria and fungi, as validated by chi-square tests. These findings demonstrate that fallow age critically influences soil fertility, vegetation composition, and microbial functionality. Moreover, dominant plant species not only mirror successional stages but also shape microbial diversity and function, highlighting their central role in ecosystem recovery and sustainable soil management in shifting cultivation systems.