Post-fire recovery of soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, soil nutrients, and soil erodibility in rotational shifting cultivation in Northern Thailand

The hill tribes in Thailand traditionally depend on rotational shifting cultivation (RSC). However, insufficient understanding remains post-fire soil properties and erodibility ( k -values) with fallow years. To address this gap, the levels of organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (STN), nutrients, after fire RSC were investigated. Topsoil (0–10 cm) samples from sites 4 (RSC-4Y), 5 (RSC-5Y), 7 (RSC-7Y) years Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, taken at four time points: before burning, min 9 months 2 burning. Soil pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient (available P, K, Ca) increased burning remained higher than pre-burning for least SOC stock decreased all fields. At RSC-4Y was whereas RSC-5Y RSC-7Y, had not reached pre-fire levels. STN stocks studied fields significantly After topsoil most susceptible to erosion. only RSC-4Y, -value unchanged Three different approaches are recommended land management: 1) farmers should cut remove weeds grasses surface, 2) be performed around late winter or early summer (November–February) inhibit complete combustion, 3) contour-felled log erosion barriers made by using trunks remaining trap sediment slow down surface runoff.