Precipitation pathways a channel of nutrient cycling in an Entandrophragma cylindricum (sprague) Sprague plantation in Onne, rivers state, Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted in 2011 at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Swamp Forest Research Station, Onne, Rivers State Nigeria, to study nutrient cycling through precipitation pathways in Entandrophragma cylindricum plantation. The experiment was 3 x 12 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were Time in 12 levels (months of the year) and Precipitation pathways in 3 levels (stemflow, throughfall and rainfall). In the precipitation pathways, results of throughfall, stemflow and rainfall were 7.31, 7.38 and 6.56 for pH; 56.00, 88.67 and 39.67 mg L^-1 for Nitrogen; 7.93, 8.34 and 7.70 mg L^-1 for Phosphorus; 6.51, 2.59 and 0.92 mg L^-1 for Potassium; 19.10, 22.93 and 14.45 mg L^-1 for Magnesium; 63.02, 75.34 and 49.49 mg L^-1 for Chlorine; 0.58, 0.88 and 0.48 mg L^-1 for Lead; 0.07, 0.12 and 0.05 mg L^-1 for Cadmium respectively. Stemflow and rainfall gave significantly the highest and the least nutrient contents. Nutrient released in the precipitation pathways were in the following significant order: stemflow > throughfall > rainfall. The study showed that precipitation pathways can be channels through which nutrients are released into the soil.

Keywords: Precipitation pathways, stemflow, throughfall, rainfall, nutrient elements