The Underlying Factors of Soil Susceptibility to Erosion in Central Parts of Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Soil erosion in southeastern Nigeria has a high devastating tendency which created a natural geologic hazard is causing loss of arable farm lands, destroying properties and other social infrastructures like pipelines, roads, bridges, over head and underground cables that are being exposed and or washed away by deep gully erosions. Investigations into the underlying factors of soil susceptibility to soil erosion in southeastern Nigeria led to this work. The study areas are the twenty six Local Government Areas within the centre of the zone which are Anaocha, Orumba North, Aguata, Nnewi South and Orumba South in Anambra State; Umunneochi, Bende, Ohafia, Arochukwu and Isuikwuato in Abia State; Afikpo North, Afikpo South, Ivo, Ohaozara and Onicha in Ebonyi State; Aninri, Oji River, Ezeagu, Udi and Awgu in Enugu State, and Idea to North, Idea to South, Okigwe, Orlu, and Orsu in Imo State. The dataset for this research work are from secondary and primary sources. Secondary Data were extracted from other journal publications among others, while primary data were in the form of measurement during field visit, photographs and geophysical soil survey and verification. Descriptive Statistics, Student t-test and Chi-square test analysis were used. The result shows that the soils across the study area generally are predominantly sandy with a mean of fine sand at 28.22% and coarse sand at 43.40%, while the mean of clay and silt are very low, 17.82% and 10.56% respectively. The study concludes that high sand content in the composition of soil in the study area is responsible for high rate of soil erosion in the area and therefore recommends a policy framework from the government of Nigeria that will encourage a paradigm shift from roots and tubers crop production that exposes the soil, to orchard plantation.

GIS-Remote Sensing Based Approach in Assessing and Modeling Landslide Vulnerability Areas in Southeast Zone of Nigeria

“…Areas of high rainfall distribution with steep surface slopes may in uence high runoff and low in ltration rate, which subsequently may render such areas vulnerable to landslide. The study area experiences heavy rainfall from April up to September with maximum amount of rainfall recorded at approximately 2400 mm ( (Inyang, 1975;Anyadike, 2002;Ayadiuno et al, 2021). The data were mapped and grouped into ve classes -very low, low, moderate, high, and very high, for ease of identifying areas and their various degrees of rainfall distributions (Fig.…”

“…The relatively high population resulted in the near total clearance of the pristine vegetation of tropical rain forests (Igbozurike, 1978). The parts of the area that are relatively high, with sandstone and sand geologic formations are practically urban or sub-urban areas, this is due to the areas' suitability for engineering constructions that supports settlements (Ofomata, 2001;Umeji, 2001;Ayadiuno et al, 2021). The soil in the study area is rated as generally exhausted due to intensive uses resulting from progressively shortening fallow periods (Igbozurike, 1978) (Fig.…”