SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL PHYSICAL QUALITY AFFECTED BY SLOPE CURVATURE AND ASPECT IN ACID SOILS OF AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT The study was conducted to evaluate spatial variability of soil physical quality affected by slope aspect and curvature in acid soils of AkwaIbom state, Nigeria. Twenty-four soil samples were collected from three locations in the study area. The soil samples were air dried and sieved through 2mm sieve for determination of physical and chemical properties of the soil. Indices of soil quality (modified clay ratio, silt clay ratio, sodium absorption ratio, weight of organic matter) were calculated. The data generated were summarised using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between slope curvature and aspect with psychical properties of the soil. The results shows that in physical - 3 3-3 and 0.76m m ) respectively, while North facing had high clay and hydraulic conductivity -1 (59% and 4.10cmhr ) respectively. In slope curvature, concave slope recorded high mean of properties, south facing slope recorded higher sand, Bd andTp (922.33%, 27.83%, 1.61mgm -3 3 -3 and 0.81m m ) respectively, the convex slope had a high silt, Bd and Tp (26%, 2.45mgm content of silt, clay and saturated hydraulic conductivity (919%, 58.83% and 4.14cmhr ) respectively. Results on indices of soil physical properties in north facing slope had mean of (19.59, 0.18, 673 and 17.65) for SCR, SAP, WOM and MCR respectively, while south facing slope had 20.34, 0.46, 780 and 30.78, for SCR, SAP, WOM and MCR respectively