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SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATIONS IN SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AND NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY OF AN OPEN SCRUB TYPE RANGELAND IN THE SUB-MOUNTAINOUS HIMALAYAN TRACT OF PAKISTAN

IFTIKHAR AHMAD¹, MUHAMMAD SAJID AQEEL AHMAD¹, MUMTAZ HUSSAIN¹, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF^1,2 AND MUHAMMAD YASIN ASHRAF³

Abstract: To assess the seasonal and spatial changes in the soil physico-chemical characteristics and nutrient availability, six ecologically diverse sites were evaluated during this study. Redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in soil physicochemical characteristics attributable both to sites and seasons. Field capacity and soil sodium contents did not vary significantly during different seasons. However, nitrogen and phosphorus contents were significantly higher in summer. Soil pH increased during spring whereas ECe and potassium ion (K⁺) contents remained higher in winter. Soil pH and ECe were closely associated with the sites having low moisture contents (Anga and Dape Sharif). Sodium (Na⁺) was recorded higher in clayey loam soils (Jhallar) whereas phosphorus (P) and K⁺ contents showed their maximum amount in clayey loam soil with high vegetation cover (Khabeki). Nevertheless, the clayey loam soils at Khabeki and Jhallar sites showed the highest field capacity. A strong correlation was observed between frequency and intensity of rainfall, parent material of the soil, vegetation of the area, and nutrient availability of soil.

¹Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

²Second affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, King-Saud University, Riaydh, Saudi Arabia

³Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Pakistan

Corresponding author: sajidakeel@yahoo.com, Tel: +92-41-9200312