DefinePK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Results of a study on the effect of different land uses on the physical characteristics of soil are presented. Permeability, bulk density, porosity, moisture holding capacity and texture of soil were observed under forests, agriculture and range vegetation at five sites in scrub, chirpine, kail, fir-spruce and dry temperate zones. Analysis of soil samples showed that soil under forest had higher permeability, porosity and water holding capacity as compared to soil under agriculture and pasture while the bulk density of soil under forest was lower than that of soil under agriculture and range vegetation. However, except for permeability these values were not significantly different from each other. On the other hand, in all land uses, permeability, moisture holding capacity and porosity values were higher for surface soil than those below 0.3 meter depth but these differences were only significantly less at the surface than that below 0.3 meter depth of soil.