We evaluated the effects of land-use regime on soil
erodibility indices and several soil properties in forested,
deforested, and cultivated areas in the village of Unye, Turkey. Twelve sample plots (spaced 150 m apart) with northern aspects were established in each land-use regime, and
samples were taken at soil depths of 0–20, 20–50, and 50–
80 cm. Soil organic matter (SOM), soil reaction (pH), total
lime (CaCO3), texture (sand, silt, and clay), dispersion ratio
(DR), erosion ratio (ER), colloid-moisture equivalent ratio
(C-MER), structural stability index (SSI), field capacity
(FC), wilting point (WP), and available water capacity
(AWC) were analyzed. The average (of the three soil depths)
AWC, FC, and WP values were not affected by the site, although site, soil depth, or both significantly affected other
analyzed soil variables. Deforestation and subsequent tillage practices resulted in an almost 20% decrease in clay
content, a 33% decrease in SOM, a 15% decrease in AWC,
a 51% decrease in total CaCO3, a 24% decrease in SSI, a
60% increase in DR, and a 98% increase in ER relative to
undisturbed forest soil. At cultivated and forested sites, the
ER and DR increased with increasing soil depth. At deforested sites, ER and DR were lowest at 50–80 cm. SOM
was the highest at 0–20 cm in the forested sites. Decreasing SOM, clay content, and SSI, as well as increasing DR
and ER were outcomes of deforestation. These results indicate that the conversion of forest into cropland deteriorates some soil properties, especially SOM and SSI, and
alters the stability of soil aggregates, thus increasing the
susceptibility of deforested sites to erosion
