Comparative Analysis of Soil Elements Mining by Water Erosion and Bush Burning

Abstract

Soil samples taken from soil affected and unaffected by bush burning and water erosion sites were subjected to standard laboratory analysis. The results showed bush burning and water erosion are capable of mining and replenishing soil elements from-and- to the soil at different quantities. Comparatively, eroded soil has most soil elements removal and burnt site has the most soil elements replenished. Burning decreased the soils’ pH by (1.3%), carbon was removed from the soil by (37%), organic matter (35%) and nitrogen (35%). Similarly water erosion mined carbon at (64%), organic matter (64.1%) and nitrogen (63%) from the soil at greater percentages except pH (21.6%), which was increased. The basic cations exchange of Na⁺ (9.5%), K⁺ (52.9%), Ca⁺⁺ (42.2%) and Mg⁺⁺ (31.8%) were replenished on burnt site. While Na⁺ (26%), K ⁺ (28%), Ca ^{+ +} (50%), Mg⁺⁺ (32%) were mined from the soil by water erosion. Also heavy metals of Pb⁺⁺, Ni⁺, Fe ⁺⁺, and V⁺ were added to the soil by both burning and water erosion. The student parametric t- test and F-test  analyzed on soil elements data at P= 0.05 significant levels revealed non-significance variation in mean and variance between the soil elements of pH, OC, OM,, ON, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, P4^-, Al₄⁺, Pb³⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni⁺ and V⁺ for both sites. This suggests similarity among all soil elements inherently found in soil of same environment of deposition and geochemical sources.

Key word: soil elements, mining, erosion, bush burning, organic matter