Investigation of the effects of land use and topography on some physical and chemical properties of soils (a case study from Uşak)

The study, performed in Dervişli village of Eşme district, Uşak, aimed to determine the effects of land use and topography on some physıcal and chemıcal propertıes of soıls. In this scope, a total of 128-disturbed and 128-undisturbed soil samples were taken from two land-use types (forest and agriculture) at two soil depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) by distributing them equally 2-slope aspects (north and south-facing), 2-slope class (<15% and >15%) and 2-elevation groups (< 750m and >750m) with 4-replicates. Some physical (soil texture, bulk density, and skeleton content), chemical (organic matter, electrical conductivity, and pH), and erodibility properties (particle density, aggregate stability, and dispersion ratio) were examined on each soil sample. Multi-way ANOVA was conducted to determine the differences in soil properties according to topographical variables and land use. The results showed that pH, electrical conductivity, dispersion ratio, and skeleton content in both soil depths were significantly (p < 0,05) varied with at least one of the variables. In addition, organic matter in the topsoil and bulk density and particle density in the subsoil were also significantly affected. According to pairwise comparisons, pH and organic matter in agricultural lands were lower; electrical conductivity and dispersion ratio was higher than in forest lands.