Variations in soil heat transfer under different land use types in Abia State, South eastern Nigeria

An in-depth knowledge on variations in soil heat transfer under different land uses is essential for proper understanding of the variations in thermal energy transfer under different human activities and modifications on land. This paper presents an investigation on the variations in soil heat transfer under different land use types in Abia State. This study evaluates three land use types: forest land (FL), continuously cultivated land (CC) and excavation site (EX). The parameters investigated in this study include; particle size distribution, bulk density, volumetric moisture content, atmospheric temperature, soil temperature, soil thermal conductivity, soil heat flux, soil volumetric heat capacity and soil thermal diffusivity. The results show that the different land use types studied influenced the soil heat energy transfer and had a significant effect on soil thermal properties. The results revealed that excavation site recorded the highest soil bulk density (1.70 Mg m-3) and soil temperature (42.6oC) while forest land recorded the lowest bulk density (1.36 Mg m-3) and soil temperature (30.3oC). The transmission of heat through a unit length of soil per unit cross-sectional area (2.476 W mk-1) was higher in forest land than the other land use types studied. Soil under continuously cultivated land recorded the highest volumetric heat capacity (1.407 J (m3K)-1). This study will help farmers and land owners in terms of choice and management of different land use types for agricultural and industrial purposes.

___

  • Abu-Hamdeh, N.H., 2003. Thermal properties of soils as affected by density and water content. Biosystems Engineering 86(1): 97–102.
  • Alrtimi, A., Rouainia, M., Haigh, S., 2016. Thermal conductivity of a sandy soil. Applied Thermal Engineering 106: 551-560.
  • Arkhangel’skaya, T.A., 2009. Parameterization and mathematical modelling of the dependence of soil thermal diffusivity on the water content. Eurasian Soil Science 42: 162–172.
  • Asawalam, D.O., Chikezie, A.I., Eswaram, D.O., Ano, A.O., 2009. Characterization of two benchmark soils of contrasting parent materials in Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences 16(1): 23–29.
  • Beltrami, H., 2001. On the relationship between ground temperature histories and meteorological records: a report on the Pomquet station. Global Planet Change 29(3-4): 327–349.
  • Blake, G.R., 2003. Bulk density. In: Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 1 Physical and Mineralogical Properties, Including Statistics of Measurement and Sampling, ASA-SSSA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 374 – 390.
  • Broadbent, F.E., 2015. Soil organic matter. Sustainable Options in Land Management 2: 34-38.
  • Celik, I., 2005. Land-use effects on organic matter and physical properties of soil in a southern Mediterranean highland of Turkey. Soil and Tillage Research 83(2): 270–277.
  • Cerdà, A., Jurgensen, M.F., 2008. The influence of ants on soil and water losses from an orange orchard in eastern Spain. Journal of Applied Entomology 132(4): 306–314.
  • Chukwu, G.O., 2013. Soil survey and classification of Ikwuano, Abia state, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science and Water Resources 2(5): 150 – 156.
  • Chukwu, G.O., Tarfa, B.D., Amapu, I.Y., 2014. Linking pedology and extension: Emerging trend in optimizing fertilizer recommendations and sustaining soil health in Nigeria. Sky Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management 3(5): 42 – 49.
  • Evett, S.R., Agam, N., Kustas, W.P., Colaizzi, P.D., Schwartz, R.C., 2012. Soil profile method for soil thermal diffusivity, conductivity and heat flux: Comparison to soil heat flux plates. Advances in Water Resources 50: 41-54.
  • Fierrer, N., Gruine, J.M., McLauchlan, K., Schimel, J.P., 2005. Litter quality and the temperature sensitivity of decomposition. Ecology 86(2): 320-326.
  • Geiger, R., Aron, R.H., Todhunter. P., 1995. The climate near the ground. 5th Edition. Vieweg press, Braunschweig, Germany.
  • Gülser, C., Ekberli, I., Mamedov, A., 2019. Change in soil temperature depending on surface heat flow. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi 29(1):1-9 [in Turkish].
  • Gwani, M., Abubakar, G.A., Utah, G.U., 2013. Determination of soil thermal conductivity using solar energy and soil temperature in Sokoto. International Journal of Environmental Sciences 3(5): 1330–1338.
  • Jaiyoba, I.A., 2003. Changes in soil properties due to continuous cultivation in Nigerian semiarid Savannah. Soil Tillage and Research 70(1): 91–98.
  • Kettler, T.A, Doran, J.W., Gilbert, T.L., 2001. Simplified method for soil particle‐Size determination to accompany soil‐quality analyses. Soil Science Society America Journal 65(3): 849-852.
  • Lim, Y.K., Cai, M., Kalnay, E., Zhou, L., 2008. Impact of vegetation types on surface temperature change. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 47(2): 411–424.
  • Nigeria Meteorological Agency, 2015. Seasonal rainfall prediction for 2015. Nigeria meteorological publications. Maitana, FCT Abuja, Nigeria.
  • Nugraha, M.I., Annisa, W., Syaufina, L., Anwar, S.,2016. Capillary water rise in peat soil as affected by various groundwater levels. Indonesian Journal of Agricultural Science 17(2): 75 – 83.
  • Nwankwo, C., Ogagarue, D., 2012. An investigation of temperature variation at soil depths in parts of Southern Nigeria. American Journal of Environmental Engineering 2(5): 142-147.
  • O'Donnell, J.A., Romanovsky, V.E., Harden, J.W., McGuire, D.A., 2009. The effect of moisture content on the thermal conductivity of moss and organic soil horizons from black spruce ecosystems in interior Alaska. Soil Science 174(12): 646 – 651.
  • Ogeh, J.S., Ogwurike, P.C., 2006. Influence of agricultural land use types on some soil properties in Midwestern Nigeria. Journal of Agronomy 5(3): 387-390.
  • Ogolo, E.O., Adeyemi, B., 2009. Variations and trends of some meteorological parameters at Ibadan, Nigeria. The Pacific Journal of Science and Technology 10(2): 981-987.
  • Oguike, P.C., Onwuka, B.M., 2017. Variations in texture, water retention and transmission, organic matter and pH of soils under selected land use systems at Ubakala Umuahia, South-Eastern Nigeria. Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research 4(7):147-155.
  • Oguike, P.C., Onwuka, B.M., 2018. Moisture characteristics of soils of different land use systems in Ubakala Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 8(4): 17-23.
  • Oladunjoye, M.A., Sanuade, O.A., 2012. Thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity and specific heat of soils in Olorunsogo powerplant, Southwestern Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Reviews in Applied Sciences 13(2): 502 – 521.
  • Oladunjoye, M.A., Sanuade, O.A., Olaojo, A.A., 2013. Variability of soil thermal properties of a seasonally cultivated Agricultural Teaching and Research Farm, University of Ibadan, South- Western Nigeria. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Agriculture and Veterinary 13(8): 41 – 64.
  • Onwuka, B.M., 2016. Effects of soil temperature on some soil properties and plant growth. Scholarly Journal of Agricultural Science 6(3): 89-93.
  • Ramakrishna, A., Tam, H.M., Wani, S.P., Long, T.D., 2006. Effect of mulch on soil temperature, moisture, weed infestation and yield of groundnut in northern Vietnam. Field Crops Research 95(2-3): 115–125.
  • Roxy, M.S., Sumithranand, V.B., Renuka, G., 2014. Estimation of soil moisture and its effect on soil thermal characteristics at Astronomical Observatory, Thiruvananthapuram, south Kerala. Journal of Earth System Science 123(8): 1793–1807.
  • Savva, Y., Szlavec, K., Pouyat, K., Groffman, P.M., Heisler, G., 2009. Effects of land use and vegetation cover on soil temperature in an urban ecosystem. Soil Science Society of American Journal 74 (2): 469–480.
  • Senjobi B.A., Ogunkunle, A.O., 2011. Effect of different land use types and their implications on land degradation and productivity in Ogun state, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology and Sustainable Development 3(1): 7–18.
  • Shepherd, T.G. Saggar, S., Newman, R.H. Ross, C.W. Dando. J.L. 2001. Tillage-induced changes to soil structure and organic carbon fractions in New Zealand soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39(3): 465-489.
  • Smith, K.A., 2000. Soil and Environmental Analysis: Physical Methods, Revised and Expanded. 2nd Edn., CRC Press, ISBN-10: 0203908600, pp: 656.
  • Ufot, U.O., Iren, O.B., Chikere Njoku, C.U., 2016. Effects of land use on soil physical and chemical properties in Akokwa area of Imo state, Nigeria. SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences 2(3):273–278.
  • Uzoma, K.C., Onwuka, B.M., 2018. Effects of organic mulch materials on soil surface evaporation. Notulae Scientia Biologicae 10(3): 387-391.
  • Wang, R., Sun, Q., Wang, Y., Zheng, W., Yao, L., Hu, Y., Guo, S., 2018. Contrasting responses of soil respiration and temperature sensitivity to land use types: Cropland vs. apple orchard on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Science of the Total Environment 621: 425–433.
  • Xue, Y., Shukla, J., 1993. The influence of land surface properties on Sahel climate. Part I: Desertification. Journal of Climate 6(12): 2232–2245.