Soil properties of termite mounds under different land use types in a Typic Paleudult of Midwestern Nigeria

The effect of land use, i.e. 2-3 years of cropping, 15-20 years old residential area and fallow land on soil properties of termite (microtermes sp) mounds in Typic Paleudults was studied in the humid rainforest zone of Midwestern Nigeria, from January 1995 to May 1995. Termite mound populations increased in the following order: Fallow> Residential> Cropping. Soil sampled from mound surfaces, mound perimeters and surrounding soil was analyzed for routine physical and chemical properties. The bulk densities were highest in the mound surface (1.20-1.25 mg m(-3)), mound perimeters (1.22-1.23 mg m(-3)) and surface soil (1.27-1.28 mg m(-3)) of the residential area. There was no significant difference in the soil textural characteristics among the various sampling locations of the three land use types. Particle size distribution in mound perimeters was however dependent on land use. With respect to organic carbon, total N, pH, exchangeable cations and ECEC, no significant differences existed, instead they spatially differ from one another in terms of land use types and sampling locations.