Effect of Land Use Types on Soil Carbon Sequestration and Hydraulic Properties around Kunvyi Area, Taraba State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1014-5455Keywords:
Land use, Soil organic carbon, Hydraulic properties, Soil fertility, Carbon storageAbstract
This study evaluated the effects of contrasting land use types on soil organic carbon sequestration and selected physical, chemical and hydraulic properties in Kunvyi, Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected at 0–30 cm depth from five land use types: arable land, mango plantation, fallow land, rice field and forest land. Selected soil physical, chemical and hydraulic properties were determined using standard laboratory procedures. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and treatment means were separated using the least significant difference at the 5% probability level. Significant differences occurred among land use types in most soil properties. Fallow land had the highest sand content (88.40%), whereas rice field had the highest clay content (27.47%). Bulk density was greatest under forest land (1.63 g cm⁻³), while total porosity was highest under fallow and arable lands. Forest land recorded the greatest available water content (14.86%), whereas mango plantation had the lowest (12.67%). Saturated hydraulic conductivity was highest under arable land (37.78 mm h⁻¹). Among chemical properties, fallow land recorded the highest total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. Soil pH remained relatively stable across land uses. Rice field had the highest soil organic carbon stock (18.68 Mg ha⁻¹), followed by arable land (16.21 Mg ha⁻¹). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between organic carbon and clay, organic carbon stock and organic carbon, and total porosity and total nitrogen. The findings demonstrate that land use and associated management practices substantially influence soil fertility, carbon storage and hydraulic functioning.
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