Micronutrient Content, Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Forested and Deforested Sites

Abstract

Summary The research examines micronutrient contents, soil carbon and nitrogen stocks of forested and deforested sites at Bobiri forest reserve in the Ashanti region, Ghana. Each site had 12 soil profiles excavated, six of which were from natural forest areas and six were from deforested areas. The samples were taken at 0-15 cm, 15-50 cm and 50-80 cm depths and repeated thrice. The contents of DTPA-extractable micronutrients in the forested sites were higher than in the deforested sites at all soil depths. There were significant differences between the forested and deforested sites. The soils at 0-15 cm depth in the forested sites showed improved micronutrient contents, which largely declined with the soil depth. At the same time, there was no consistent pattern of distribution in the deforested soil. According to the findings, all three depths and sites tested had enough extractable Fe, Mn and Cu, however only 15-50 cm depth of forested and deforested sites had sufficient Zn. All the soil depths except 50–80 cm showed significant differences in soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in the forested sites compared to the deforested sites. The forested sites had the largest amount of total soil organic carbon stocks (365 Mg ha−1), whereas the deforested sites had the lowest amount (181 Mg ha−1). It was found that micronutrient content and distribution in the soils at the research sites were influenced by organic matter, clay and soil pH.