Title: Assessment of soil quality under various land use practices in a humid agro-ecological zone of Nigeria
Abstract: In this study, soil samples were collected from 0 to 15 cm and 15 to 45 cm of secondary forest, mixed plantation, natural fallow and sole plantation. Soil samples were chemically analyzed using standard methods for organic matter, nitrate-nitrogen, pH, bulk density and available phosphorus. The results were statistically analyzed and index of deterioration was also calculated for the soil properties. Mixed plantation appeared to resemble the secondary forest in soil properties except available phosphorus. There is significant degradation of available phosphorus in mixed plantation which was probably due to the high uptake of nutrients for production of pods, nuts and beans of cocoa and kola trees that coexists to form the mixed plantation. The results suggested that establishment of sole plantation was not a viable ecological approach to soil management and conservation but mixture of trees proved advantageous to soil. Natural fallow in the absence of incessant bush fire also appears to be a sound land-use technique in conserving soil properties.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-09-27
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 16
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