Variations in Soil Physico-Chemical Properties as Influenced by Landuse in a Toposequence ()
ABSTRACT
Soil, water and air work interchangeably for optimum
growth and productivity. Soil as a resource
provides crops with essential nutrients necessary for growth and human consumption. With the insurgence
of high population growth leading to
pressure on lands, poor land management etc., this tendency of the soil as a
nutrient pool is seen to be dwindling. It is therefore prudent to investigate and understand the dynamism
of soil properties to inform proper
management. Understanding topography effects and assessing soil properties on different slope positions is a first-hand step in ensuring proper
soil management practices. This paper
considers the assessment of physico-chemical properties of soils located
on different slope gradients and land use types on the Wamaso research site in
Ghana made principally of cape coast granite. In all, eighteen samples were
collected from identified horizons of five distinctive subsections of the slope were delineated as follows, summit (PP1),
shoulder (PP2), middle (PP3), foot slope (PP4) and toe slope (PP5)
respectively. Remarkable variations were observed within PP1 to PP3 and then
PP5. Pearson’s correlation index revealed that the associations between most of
the soil physico-chemical were not
consistent across the identified slope positions. The biplot of the
first two principal components together is 68.3% of the total variation and might be
interpreted as change in Cation exchange capacity, sodium, sand and clay. On
the first axis highlights the influence of sand and clay on soil fertility, also the relationship between pH and Na. Organic
carbon derived from organic matter contributes to the availability of the basic
soil cations and therefore enhances ECEC of the soils and hence the relationship
obtained from the biplot. In sum, this research achieved the objective which sought to substantiate indeed the impact topography has on soil
physico-chemical properties thereby serving as a reference for the
classification of the soils identified.
Share and Cite:
Arthur, A. and Okae-Anti, D. (2022) Variations in Soil Physico-Chemical Properties as Influenced by Landuse in a Toposequence.
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
10, 98-121. doi:
10.4236/gep.2022.108008.