Assessment of Soil Structural Stability Under Different Land Uses Using Some Predictive Indices in Abakaliki, Southeastern Nigeria
Soil is fundamental and basic resource for
agricultural practice. Consequently, soil structural stability is a potential
indicator for wide variety of choices to which it is used for ranging from
agricultural to engineering considerations. This is because the structural
stability of soil influences its nutrient retention and supply, water storage
and transmission, aeration propensity, strength and trafficability and capacity
to support foundations (Obi, 2000).
According to Ogbodo (2012), the soil serves as the natural media that
provides the physical and chemical environment for crop production. The primary
purpose of soil is to hold and provide water and nutrients to plants, permit
gas exchanges to and from their roots, as well as mechanical support. As
corroborated by Ekpe (2002), soil structural stability strongly correlates with
fertility, infiltration rate, flow of air or water and degree of ramification
of network of roots. Furthermore, in assessing of soil structural stability the
two major factors of interests are size, stability of aggregates, shaping or
orientation of the aggregates (Ekpe, 2002).
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