Dataset of routine physical and chemical properties of soils under different land-use/land-cover classes in the Mount Cameroon area

The data is on selected physical and chemical properties of soils under different land-use/land-cover classes around Mount Cameroon. It depicts the impact of land management on these properties. The conversion of forest cover to other land-use classes leads to an increase in bulk density and clay content; and a decrease in soil organic carbon, nitrogen and water contents; confirming these properties as potential indicators of soil quality.

The collection of samples in the field was preceded by the production of a land-use/land-cover (LULC) map of the area. Four major LULC classes were identified – farmland, forest, plantation and settlement. Sample points were chosen based on field realities – accessibility and representativeness of the given LULC class. Sixteen top soil (<20 cm) samples; 4 from each major LULC class, were collected and the coordinates recorded using a portable GPS.

Two sets of samples were collected – one for the determination of bulk density and moisture content and the other set was used for the determination of soil separates and chemical parameters. The former set of samples were collected using a metal cylinder (6 cm diameter and 6 cm height). After clearing the debris, the metallic cylinder was carefully driven into the ground as to fill the entire cylinder without compressing the soil in it. The soil around the cylinder was excavated and the cylinder, with the core in place, was carefully removed by sliding a trowel under it. The mass of the core (wet soil) was determined in the field, using a sensitive digital scale balance (SF-400), and parceled in plastic papers, for oven drying in the laboratory. The latter set of samples were collected using a randomized complete block research design. For each earmarked area, representative plots of 10 m x 10 m were mapped out. After clearing the debris, top soil (0-20 cm) samples were collected from the four corners of the plot and the centre and bulked together to form a representative sample which was later air-dried and sieved to obtain the ≤2 mm faction.

该数据集收录了喀麦隆山区不同土地利用/覆盖类型下土壤的精选物理和化学性质。它描绘了土地管理对这些性质的影响。森林覆盖向其他土地利用类型的转化导致土壤容重和粘土含量的增加，以及土壤有机碳、氮和水分含量的减少，从而证实这些性质可作为土壤质量潜在指标。野外样品采集前，对该区域进行了土地利用/覆盖（LULC）制图。确定了四种主要的LULC类型——农田、森林、种植园和居住区。样品点的选择基于实地情况——所给LULC类型的可达性和代表性。采集了16个表层土壤（<20厘米）样品，每个主要LULC类型4个，并使用便携式GPS记录了坐标。采集了两套样品——一套用于测定容重和水分含量，另一套用于测定土壤分离物和化学参数。前一套样品使用金属圆柱（直径6厘米，高度6厘米）采集。清除杂物后，将金属圆柱小心地驱动至地面，以确保整个圆柱被土壤填满而不会压缩土壤。随后，挖掘圆柱周围的土壤，并在圆柱下滑入铲子后小心地将带有土芯的圆柱取出。在野外，使用灵敏的数字电子秤（SF-400）测定土芯（湿土）的质量，并将其分装在塑料纸上，送至实验室进行烘干。后一套样品采用随机完全区组试验设计采集。对于每个选定的区域，绘制了10米x10米的代表性地块。清除杂物后，从地块的四个角落和中心采集表层土壤（0-20厘米）样品，并将它们混合形成代表性样品，随后进行自然风干并过筛，以获得≤2毫米的颗粒。