Soil – Vegetation Variability on a Topo-Sequence in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

Soil – Vegetation Variability on a Topo-Sequence in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

There has been great awareness about the nature of the relationship between slope, soil and vegetation which has attracted the interest of scholars. This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between vegetative parameters and site characteristics along an environmental gradient represented by the catena in the study area. Three transects were established. Ninety quadrats at dimension 20 m × 20 m were laid along the transects. In each transect, 30 quadrats were laid and two soil samples were taken randomly at a depth of (0 – 15 cm). The quadrats were positioned such that the first, second and third fell at the bottom, middle and upper slopes respectively. Within each quadrat, vegetative parameters (tree height, tree density and species richness) and site characteristics were also measured. Slope angle and site elevation above the stream level were measured with the aid of Abney level placed on a flat wooden slab.