Influence of flora species on soil properties in Inyang Etim Ekpo River Valley, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Influence, Flora composition, Soil Characteristics, Inyang Etim Ekpo, River valleyAbstract
This study focused on the influence of flora species on soil properties in Inyang Etim Ekpo River Valley, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The main aim of this paper is to examine the major vegetation variable that influences soil properties in the study area. The data for the study was collected through direct field observation, measurement and enumeration. The vegetation and soil parameters were collected in a laid out quadrat of 100m X 100m at 100m interval. The soil samples were taken to the laboratory for analysis. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) were used in analysing the data. The result showed that when the soil components were regressed on the vegetation components, only herbaceous species composition was responsible for 26.8% of the changes that took place in topsoil exchangeable bases. From the study analysis, the ANOVA result showed that herbaceous species composition significantly influenced topsoil cation (F = 4.757, p<0.05). The result also identified herbaceous species composition to exert significant influence on topsoil exchangeable bases (t = 2.181, p<0.05). Further, the herbaceous species composition was the major vegetation parameter that influenced soil properties. This is as a result of the high positive relationship between the herbaceous species composition as against basal cover and girth on the topsoil exchangeable bases such as Ca+, Mg+, K+, Na+, and NH4+. The study therefore recommends that the anthropogenic activities that lead to deforestation and removal of herbaceous species in the Inyang Etim Ekpo River Valley should be discouraged.Downloads
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