Soil fertility evaluation and land-use effects on soil properties, carbon and nitrogen sequestration in the rainforest of Nigeria

Ugochukwu Nnamdi ONYEGBULE; Stanley Uchenna ONWUDİKE; Nkechinyere OPARANADİ; Olive OPARANADİ

doi:10.18393/ejss.1327155

Soil fertility evaluation and land-use effects on soil properties, carbon and nitrogen sequestration in the rainforest of Nigeria

Authors : Ugochukwu Nnamdi ONYEGBULE, Stanley Uchenna ONWUDİKE, Nkechinyere OPARANADİ, Olive OPARANADİ

Pages : 310-319

Doi:10.18393/ejss.1327155

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Publication Date : 2023-09-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study investigates changes in soil properties, specifically soil organic carbon insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(SOC); and total nitrogen insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(TN);, associated with different land use systems derived from forests in the rainforest zone of Nigeria. The land use systems examined include mature oil palm plantation insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(OP);, bush fallow or secondary forest insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(BF);, alley cropping with multi-purpose trees insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(AC);, and continuous cassava cropping with and without fertilizer insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(FC and UC);. Converting forests to cultivated land led to a decrease in SOC and TN content and storage across all soil depths insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-40 cm);. In the top 0-10 cm depth, the average decrease in SOC and TN storage was 63% and 62%, respectively, while for 0-40 cm, the decrease was 48% and 46%, respectively, for all land use systems derived from forests. Furthermore, the study reveals that even after 5, 10, and 30 years of secondary forest regrowth insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(BF);, alley cropping insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(AC);, and oil palm plantation insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(OP);, respectively, the fertility levels were not restored to those observed in the primary forest. These findings underscore the capacity of forest soils to conserve and enhance soil SOM insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(soil organic matter);, which in turn plays an essential role in SOC sequestration, TN storage, and soil nutrient conservation.
Keywords : Carbon sequestration, land uses, nitrogen sequestration, soil fertility, vegetation

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