International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 43-51 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmeb 45 The comparison between burned and unburned sugarcane harvesting systems has revealed that unburned systems, which leave high amounts of crop residues, can stabilize soil carbon and reduce GHG emissions, particularly CO2. This suggests a potential decrease in soil organic matter degradation compared to burned systems (Motinho et al., 2021). Motinhod et al. (2021) found that compared to burning sugarcane, unburned (managed) sugarcane residues can increase soil carbon storage and reduce soil CO2 emissions. This is because unburned sugarcane residues can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, promote the decomposition of organic matter, and fix carbon. In addition, sugarcane residues can improve soil structure, increase soil porosity and water holding capacity, which is beneficial for soil nutrient retention and crop growth. This study emphasizes that improving agricultural management practices, such as using unburned sugarcane residues, can effectively reduce carbon emissions in agricultural activities, promote soil carbon storage, and make a positive contribution to addressing global climate change. Additionally, different sugarcane management regimes have been found to impact soil bacterial communities, which are closely related to the dynamics of soil nutrients and may indirectly influence soil chemical properties (Rachid et al., 2012). Land use change (LUC) from native vegetation to sugarcane cultivation has been associated with soil acidification and a decrease in soil chemical quality, as indicated by lower levels of available phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and boron (B). However, the subsequent conversion from pasture to sugarcane can increase soil nutrient levels and reduce soil acidity due to lime and fertilizer applications (Cherubin et al., 2015). 1.3 Effects of sugarcane cultivation on soil biological activity Sugarcane cultivation has been identified as a significant factor influencing soil biological activity, with various management practices impacting the quantity and quality of soil microorganisms, soil enzyme activity, and the overall ecological balance of the soil. The transition from traditional pre-harvest burning to mechanized harvesting in sugarcane fields has been shown to affect greenhouse gas production potential in the soil, with implications for soil microbial processes (Tavares et al., 2018). Specifically, the management systems of sugarcane cultivation, including the duration of green sugarcane management, have been observed to impact the potential production of CO2, N2O, and CH4 in the soil, which are key indicators of microbial activity and soil health (Tavares et al., 2018). Furthermore, the application of nitrogen fertilizers and crop residue retention in sugarcane production has been associated with significant nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, a potent greenhouse gas that reflects changes in the soil microbial community responsible for nitrogen cycling (Yang et al., 2020). The increase in N2O emissions has been found to correlate with the rate of nitrogen fertilizer application, suggesting that conventional sugarcane cultivation practices may disrupt the balance of soil nitrogen transformations carried out by soil microorganisms (Yang et al., 2020). The physical and chemical alterations in soil due to sugarcane cultivation, such as changes in soil compaction and nutrient content, have been shown to influence the biological attributes of the soil, including microbial biomass and activity (Cherubin et al., 2016).The spatial variation in environmental impacts of sugarcane expansion, including soil erosion and biodiversity, further highlights the complex interactions between sugarcane cultivation and soil biological activity (Vera et al., 2020). 2 Soil Erosion Dynamics Caused by Sugarcane Cultivation Soil erosion is a significant environmental concern associated with sugarcane cultivation. The dynamics of soil erosion involve various types and mechanisms, each contributing to the degradation of soil quality and the potential reduction in crop yield and quality.
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