Impact of Forest Management Types on Soil Properties and Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Benue State, Nigeria

• Authors: D. H. Japheth , J. C. Onyekwelu , S. O. Akindele
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Forest management practices influence soil fertility and nutrient availability through different mechanisms. Despite the importance of soil fertility and nutrient availability in forest ecosystems, there is limited research on the effects of management practices on soil properties in mixed-species forests. This study investigates the impact of different management types (community forest area (CFA), Forest area (FR), and Sacred Grove (SG)) on soil physicochemical properties, organic matter, and organic carbon storage in Benue State, Nigeria. Soil samples from three forest management types were collected and analyzed using established laboratory standard procedures. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in soil texture, pH, organic carbon, and total nitrogen across the management types. CFA and FR were predominantly sandy loam soils, while SG had higher clay loam content. Soil pH ranged from 4.82 – 6.07 with SG having the highest pH value (6.07). The forest reserve has the highest sand content (75.0%) and SG has the highest clay content (34.6%). The highest soil organic matter content (3.13%) was recorded under CFA, while organic carbon of 1.83% was recorded under FR. The highest values of Mg (0.97 Cmol/kg), N (0.28%), P (3.77 ppm), K (0.20 Cmol/kg) Na (0.18 Cmol/kg), and Ca (1.24 Cmol/kg) were at their peak under the Sacred grove management types. Thus, the various types of forest management significantly impact soil properties and organic carbon content in the study area. It is recommended that SG or CFA management should be adopted for forest resource conservation in the study area.

Keywords

EN

Forest management; Organic matter; Soil carbon; Soil conservation; Sustainable management

Discipline

• FORESTRY: FORESTRY

• Publisher: Scientific Publishing House „DARWIN”
• Journal: World News of Natural Sciences
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 57
• Pages: 1-17

Contributors

author

D. H. Japheth

• Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, The Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

author

J. C. Onyekwelu

• Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

author

S. O. Akindele

• Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

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