Land Use Influence on Some Soil Physical and Chemical Properties of an Alfisol at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria

Abstract

Land use is characterized by the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover type to produce, change or maintain it. Changes in land use cover also have a drastic effect on chemical and biological properties of soil and hence change the quality of the soil. A study was conducted to examine the effect of land use types on soil physical and chemical properties within an Alfisol in the arboretum of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN). Soil samples were collected at two soil depths (0-15cm and 15-30 cm soil depths) under these plantations: Nauclea diderrichii (NP), Gmelina arborea (GP), Terminalia superba (TP), Arable crop land (AC) and a Fallowed Land (FL) and were analysed for some selected soil physical and chemical properties. The experiment was a completely randomize design (CRD) with six replications. Data collected was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results revealed that higher content of clay was recorded in 0 to 15 cm depth of both GP (15.00%) and FL (15.00%) plantation lands whereas higher clay content was recorded at 15 to 30 cm depth in Arable crop land (23.00%) and Nauclea plantation land (21.00%). Higher total nitrogen (TN) was observed in FL (1.44%)  while  TN availability decreases in the order AC>GP>NP>TP. Higher values of soil Organic Carbon (16.74%), Available phosphorus (2.15 Cmol/kg)  and Organic matter (28.86%) were obtained under FL as compared to the other land use fields at 0 to 15 cm depth. Bulk density and porosity were highly variable among different land use types and ranged from (1.039 - 1.415) g cm−3 and (17.99 - 48.87)%. The information generated from the present study suggested fallowed land use as the best land use system because of its higher soil organic matter management, as it improves the soil structure and this will assist in developing sustainable and ecologically stable land use management strategies for the study area.