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Physical Properties of the Mountain Soils of Cross River State, Nigeria


A Essoka
I Ibanga
U Amalu

Abstract

The mountain soils of Cross River State, Oban hills and Obudu mountains have the following properties. The sand contents in Oban hills ranged from 34 to 82% while in Obudu plateau from 40 to 78 %. The silt contents of the soils in both Oban hills and Obudu plateau fluctuated with depth. At Oban hills the range was between 6 and 36 %, and 10 and 26 % at Obudu plateau. Clay contents at Oban hills ranged from 6 to 42 % while it ranged from 10 to 44 % at Obudu plateau. The bulk density values for both study sites increased with soil depth. The range of values at Oban hills top soils was 0.67 to 1.87 g/cm3, with the mean of 1.38 g/cm3 while values for subsoil horizon ranged from 1.64 to 2.33 g/cm3 with mean of 2.02 g/cm3.The range of bulk density values from the Obudu mountains was from 0.74 to 2.16 g/cm3. The soil surface values ranged from 0.74 to 1.75 g/cm3, with the mean of 1.2 g/cm. The total porosity values of Oban hills for top soil horizons ranged from 29.43 to 74.72%, with the mean of 47.93%. The subsurface horizon values ranged from 12.08 to 40.38%, with a mean of 22.54%. The surface soil horizon values at the Obudu mountains ranged between 33.96 and 70.08%, giving a mean of 50.63% while the subsurface values ranged from 19.62 to 55.47%, with the mean of 29.08%. Oban hills and Obudu mountain soils are rated good soils based on their total porosity values. The hydraulic conductivity values in the Oban hills ranged from 0.74 to 103.87 cm/hr. At the surface horizons, the conductivity values ranged from 7.56 to 103.87 cm/hr with the mean of 34.42 cm/hr. The subsurface horizon values ranged from 0.74 to 42.83 cm/hr, with the mean of 10.13 cm/hr. Hydraulic conductivity values at the Obudu mountains ranged from 0.05 to 78.99 cm/hr. The surface values ranged between 0.52 and 78.99 cm/hr, with the mean of 31.16 cm/hr. The subsurface horizon values range was from 0.05 to 42.13 cm/hr with the mean of 14.94 cm/hr. The conductivity values were high.

Keywords: Texture, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, porosity.


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