• Version
• Download 0
• File Size 124.89 KB
• File Count 1
• Create Date June 14, 2025
• Last Updated June 14, 2025

ANALYSIS OF PHYSIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SOIL IN SOME SELECTED FOREST RESERVE IN KANO REGION, NORTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

AUTHORS:    AHMED, S.A., AHMED, M., HARUNA, H. AND ALIKO, A.A.

¹Department of Botany, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria

²Department of Geography, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Farmers have now encroached on the forest reserve close to their community for survival through indiscriminate felling of trees, overgrazing and bush burning which exposes the soil of the savannah vegetation to erosion, leaching, waterlogging and acidity. The physiochemical analysis of selected forest reserve soils were analysed for their levels of support to the vegetation in the Forest Reserves in Kano region, North-Western Nigeria. Composites soil samples were collected randomly and analysed in the laboratory. The textural class of soils from all sites were sandy loam. Albasu F.R had the highest percentage of sand (76%) and lowest percentage of silt (17%). The lowest percentage of clay (6%) was found at Rurum F.R. The soils at all sites were moderately acidic with pH range (5.2-5.8), having low activity clay resulting in low CEC, available P, total nitrogen and exchangeable bases. However the organic carbon was highest in Falgore G.R. There is need for the adoption of better farming practices, especially crop rotation to supports agricultural farming.

INTRODUCTION

The recent decline in forest cover is related to soil changes induced by atmospheric pollution and indiscriminate removal of vegetation as a result of land use changes (Jiao-junzhu et al. 2007). The importance of soil chemical and physical properties to vegetation growth  cannot be over emphasized, as greater demands is placed on forest soils in terms of productivity (Vanmechelen et al., 1997). Soil is a biologically active porous medium that is present on the uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust formed by weathering processes under various influences. Savannah grassland soils are not very fertile and the nutrients are found near the surface as they occur from decayed organic matter (vegetation) from the previous growing season which decays rapidly due to the high temperatures. Its Soils tend to be red in colour due to their high iron content and there is restricts vegetation growth as plant roots cannot penetrate the hard 'pan' layer in the B-horizon, or subsoil (Schinner et al., 2012).

Soils are shaped by interactions between five key variables, known as state factors. These five variables are climate, organisms, relief, parent material, and time (Jenny, 1941). Understanding the remarkable patterns of diversity in tropical forests therefore depends on a comprehensive understanding of their soils (Committee on Tropical Soils, 1972)

Soil characteristics are made up of two properties namely physical and chemical and a soil will usually behave according to the proportion and organization of these properties. Soils are made up of four basic components: minerals, air, water, and organic matter. In most soils, minerals represent around 45% of the total volume, water and air about 25% each, and from 2% to 5% organic matter (Retallack, 2008). Soil properties of terrestrial ecosystems depend upon a variety of abiotic and biotic factors that vary both spatially and seasonally (Peverill et al., 1999). Globally, soils contain more carbon than any other terrestrial carbon pool (Joba’ggy, 2000) and the forest floor is the most dynamic part of soil organic matter.

As studies on ecology and geology have increased, the soil is now considered a complex, dynamic, biogeochemical system that is vital to the life cycles of various land vegetation and soil-inhabiting organisms (Magdoff, 2001). The nutrient content in the soil may determine parameters such as tree heights and basal area (Becknel and powers, 2014). According to some previous research on tropical savannah vegetation, plant species richness is positively related to the soil fertility (Neri et al., 2012).