Comparative Effects of Forest Cover on Soil Characteristics in District Buner, KPK (T-1285) (MFN 4985)

Abstract

The study was carried out to assess the impact of land use and land cover on physical and chemical properties of soil. For comparative analysis the whole area was divided into three zones dense forest canopy, moderate forest canopy and low forest canopy. Significant changes in soil were observed in relation to land cover and land use. Analysis of soil revealed that organic content was high in dense canopy forest due to thick density of tree that result in high porosity and low bulk density. It is also found that nutrient such as nitrates, potassium and phosphorous showed high content in dense canopy forest. With the decrease in the forest canopy, the soil’s properties showed a significant variation. Due to deforestationthe root network decreases that resulted in higher bulk density and lower porosity. Analysis showed that due to increase in runoff the nutrient leaching increases resulting in lowering soil’s nutrient content. The rate of mineralization is high in low canopy forest followed by moderate canopy cover and least in dense canopy forest. The results revealed that land use and land cover has close relation with soil properties and any change could significantly influence these properties.