Soil Pore Size Distribution and Quality Indicators Affected by Land Use Change and Slope Position, Using Micromorphology Analysis in Southern‐West Iran

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Deforestation and intensive cultivation affect soil pore characteristics as indicator of soil quality/health, and slope position might have synergic effects on these changes. This study highlights importance of land degradation effects on soil health that attained data are valuable for offering tools to combat soil degradation in vulnerable landscapes. This study was conducted in three land uses in hilly regions of south‐west Iran to evaluate the combined effects of land uses including natural forest (NF), disturbed forest (DF), and cultivated land (CL) and slope effects (S 1 = 0%–10%, S 2 = 10%–20%, and S 3 = 20%–30%) on soil quality indicators and pore systems. In each treatment, three undisturbed soil samples were collected for micromorphological studies. Besides, disturbed soil samples were collected for chemical and physical analysis. The results showed that the slope position and land use had significant influences on soil quality indicators including soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and bulk density (BD), as well as soil pore characteristics. According to pore types, channels, and chambers as an indication of biological activities were dominant in the NF‐S 1 treatment, while the planes and vughs were dominant in the CL‐S 1 combination as an indication of the destruction of macro‐aggregates. The results of correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis showed that there were significant relationships between pore characteristics and soil properties such as SOM, BD, and CEC, confirming the simultaneous effects of slope position and land use. Further works are recommended to do tomography analysis as the reliable and reference method to estimate the uncertainty of this technique for monitoring soil pore characteristics. The findings underscore the need for slope‐sensitive land management to balance agricultural productivity and ecological resilience, aligning with global sustainability goals.