Effect of charcoal production on environmental degradation in guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria
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Date
2015
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Publisher
School of environmental technology, federal university of technology, Minna, Nigeria
Abstract
The study examines the effects of charcoal production on soil properties around mound sites
in guinea savannah region of Nigeria. Soil samples at 1Ocm depths were collected at
equidistance position of I meter over a distance of 8 meters away from 3 mound sites. The
collected soil samples were subsequently analysed at University of llorin laboratories for
physical and chemical characteristics. Unlike findings reported in previous studies biomass
burning at the mounds in this study did not result in increase of soil micro nutrient, rather an
increase in soils chemical characteristics were observed as distance increases from the
mounds. The implication of this finding is that charcoal production in the study area is
robbing the soil of its essential minerals. Reason for this may however not be unconnected
with dry season period the data was collected when rain has not fallen to leach the nutrients
from the burnt biomass into the soil. The study also revealed that heat influence at the study
sites were only limited to 5 meters distance away from the mounds. This might be because the
soil in the area is basically sandy and poor conductor of heat. The general implication of the
findings of this research is that, at local level, the damage done to the environment by wood
combustion into charcoal may not be as terrible as the havoc caused by the cutting down of
trees. The study thus concludes that, the effect of the charcoal production on soil will vary
with climatic region.
Description
Keywords
Mound, Combustion, Charcoal, Degradation, Biomass