INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT LAND USE TYPES ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL IN EKITI- STATE, NIGERIA

This research was conducted to assess the physical characteristics of soil as influenced by croplands (CP), forests (FOR), tree crop plantation (TCP) and woodland/grasslands (WGS) land use types in Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria. Soil sampling and field experiments were carried out across the different land uses and land cover types. Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was used where there were “within the treatment variation” and “between the treatment variations”. Field experiments were carried out in 40 different locations in Ekiti State and surface composite disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected to depths of 30 cm from the study areas. Three sampling points were randomly selected per field location (approximately 20 m apart). The soil of the study area was predominantly sandy clay loam. Land use types did not have significant effect on the soil pH (p>0.05). The highest mean porosity value was recorded in FOR soils (45.01%) while WGS had the least mean value (38.87%). The bulk density of the different land uses reduced from WGS to FOR in the order WGS > TCP > CP > FOR. There was significantly higher WHC (p < 0.05) in FOR than other land use types (TCP, CP and WGS). Forest (FOR) land use type had the highest mean VMC, while the WGS land use type had the least. The average DOC of CP, FOR, TCP and WGS is 87.93%, 86.44%, 88.54%, and 89.15%, respectively. Results from the research showed that forest soil is optimum for agricultural practices due its high porosity and low compaction characteristics.