Effect of Climate Change on Soil Moisture and Soil Organic Matter in the Past and Future Years of the Soil Properties in Otta Farm

Abstract

Increased temperature affects microbial activity both directly and indirectly through its impact on soil moisture and the quantity of organic matter. When soil temperature changes as a result increased atmospheric temperature, the composition of the microbial community and the moisture content of the soil is affected. Increase in temperature decreases organic matter through combustion. This is an important factor to predicting to predicting the effect of climate change on soil properties. In a government farmland (Otta, Agbowa-Ikosi. Lagos state) we determined the effect of climate change on soil moisture and organic matter. The relationship among temperature, precipitation, soil moisture and organic matter was investigated. Two hundred soil samples were randomly collected on the farmland and were taken to the laboratory for the analysis to determine the soil moisture and organic matter content. Precipitation and temperature data were collected from 1996-2016. A correlation analysis was carried out between soil and climatic variables. Findings indicated a non-significant correlation between the soil properties and climatic variables but a negative correlation coefficient between soil organic matter and precipitation (-0.511), soil moisture and temperature (-0.384), a positive correlation coefficient between soil organic matter and temperature (0.377), soil moisture and precipitation (0.517) which reveals the direction and strength of the variables. The study concludes that temperature and precipitation affected soil moisture and organic matter from 1996-2016. However, recommendation includes the application of organic materials on soil to increase organic matter content and the practise of mulching will also conserve soil moisture.

Keywords: Climate change, organic matter, soil moisture, temperature and precipitation.