What is it about?
Conversion of natural forest to intensive cultivation could make the soil susceptible to flooding, loss of significant fraction of organic matter and reduce soil quality parameters. Soil disturbance through cultivation decreased hydraulic conductivity and increased bulk density of the soil. Infiltration rate attained after 2 hours was higher in forested soil. Temporary infiltration rate at initial time in cultivated soil was followed by very low infiltration rate after 2 hours.
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Why is it important?
Our findings show that changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity and water stability are dependent on surface soil disturbance by cultivation. Cultivation of forest decreased infiltration rates and water transmission properties of the soil.
Perspectives
Assessing the effects on land use on infiltration rates and other soil penetrating indices may provide essential information for assessing soil productivity and environmental sustainability. This article examined these changes on coastal plain soil under forest and cropping, which tend to bridge the gap in current knowledge concerning the effects of soil use on soil and water conservation.
Dr Bassey Etim Udom
Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Port Harcourt.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Soil penetrating quality in cultivated and forested coastal plain sands of Southern Nigeria, Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, November 2015, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2015.1107677.
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