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Table 3 The mean (± SE) values of selected soil physical and chemical properties as affected by agro-climatic zones

From: Effects of habitat gradient and agro-climatic variation on selected soil physical and chemical properties in the Bale Mountains national park, south-eastern Ethiopia

Soil properties

Agro-climatic zones

Mean

F

Sig

ACZ 1

ACZ 2

ACZ 3

Sand (%)

53.23 ± 1.24b

57.80 ± 0.95a

55.64 ± 1.33a

55.56 ± 0.72

30.55

***

Silt (%)

17.50 ± 0.83c

27.53 ± 1.01b

31.56 ± 1.27a

25.53 ± 1.05

71.50

***

Clay (%)

29.27 ± 1.09a

14.67 ± 0.82b

12.80 ± 1.89c

18.91 ± 1.32

90.72

***

Si/Cl

0.62 ± 0.05c

2.01 ± 0.17b

4.49 ± 1.04a

2.37 ± 0.41

38.07

***

BD (g/cm3)

0.95 ± 0.09a

0.61 ± 0.04b

0.43 ± 0.03c

0.66 ± 0.04

45.41

***

pH (H2O)

5.81 ± 0.18a

5.44 ± 0.11b

5.32 ± 0.03b

5.52 ± 0.08

32.35

***

SOC (%)

7.02 ± 0.40a

6.73 ± 0.42b

6.19 ± 0.61c

6.65 ± 0.28

8.49

**

TN (%)

0.81 ± 0.15a

0.68 ± 0.09a

0.49 ± 0.15b

0.66 ± 0.06

7.74

**

C/N ratio

14.70 ± 2.75a

10.90 ± 0.63b

14.03 ± 1.52a

13.21 ± 1.07

31.91

**

AP (mg/kg)

18.79 ± 0.99a

15.13 ± 2.22a

5.54 ± 0.58b

13.15 ± 1.15

50.50

***

CEC (cmol/kg)

25.27 ± 2.20a

22.10 ± 2.18ab

20.49 ± 1.99b

22.62 ± 1.23

2.63

ns

  1. Means in each column with the same superscript letter are not significantly different at p ≤ 0.05; ACZ agro-climatic and vegetation zone, BD  bulk density, SOC organic carbon, TN total nitrogen, C/N carbon to nitrogen ratio, AP available phosphorus, CEC cation exchange capacity, ns non-significant; ∗∗∗p < 0.001 and ∗∗p < 0.01