TY - JOUR AU - Tsheboeng, Gaolathe AU - Bonyongo, Mphaphi AU - Murray-Hudson, Mike PY - 2017/12/13 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Flood variation and soil nutrient content in floodplain vegetation communities in the Okavango Delta JF - South African Journal of Science JA - S. Afr. J. Sci. VL - 110 IS - 3/4 SE - Research Article DO - 10.1590/sajs.2014/20130168 UR - https://sajs.co.za/article/view/3766 SP - 1-5 AB - <div style="left: 288.189px; top: 242.805px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.865131);">We investigated the influence of hydroperiod variation on soil nutrient content in the Okavango Delta seasonal</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 262.004px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.863604);">floodplains. Soil samples were collected from eight zones of homogenous vegetation cover after low and high</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 281.203px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.882483);">floods and analysed for pH, Na, Mg, Ca, K and P content. A Student's</div><div style="left: 685.2901666666667px; top: 281.20314062499983px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">t</div><div style="left: 689.172px; top: 281.203px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.880519);">-test was used to test for differences</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 300.402px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.913911);">in pH, Na, Mg, Ca, K and P between soils after low and high floods. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 319.602px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.892694);">compare means of flooding duration and depth between low and high floods. Na, K, Mg, P and pH levels in</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 338.801px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.89105);">soils were significantly different (</div><div style="left: 475.2985px; top: 338.8008072916666px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 482.601px; top: 338.801px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.902308);">&lt;0.05) after low floods compared with after high floods. Na content was</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 358px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.920114);">lower (</div><div style="left: 328.66999999999996px; top: 357.9999739583334px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 335.972px; top: 358px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.943647);">&lt;0.05) in Zones 2 and 8 and higher (</div><div style="left: 556.8123333333333px; top: 357.9999739583334px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 564.115px; top: 358px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.941641);">&lt;0.05) in Zones 4, 5 and 6 during high flood than during</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 377.199px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.901967);">low flood. Ca content was lower (</div><div style="left: 482.1115px; top: 377.1993072916666px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 489.414px; top: 377.199px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.93093);">&lt;0.05) in Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and higher in Zone 7 (</div><div style="left: 810.5346666666667px; top: 377.1993072916666px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 817.837px; top: 377.199px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.965);">&lt;0.05) under</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 396.399px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.90445);">high flood than during low flood. Mg content was lower (</div><div style="left: 611.077px; top: 396.39864062499987px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 618.379px; top: 396.399px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.917474);">&lt;0.05) in Zones 1 and 5 and higher (</div><div style="left: 833.0608333333332px; top: 396.39864062499987px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 840.363px; top: 396.399px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.00107);">&lt;0.05) in</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 415.598px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.906319);">Zones 6, 7 and 8 during high flood than during low flood. K content was lower in Zones 1 and 3 and lower</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 434.797px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.889205);">in Zones 6, 7 and 8 (</div><div style="left: 405.57333333333327px; top: 434.7969739583332px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 412.876px; top: 434.797px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.904267);">&lt;0.05) during high flood than during low flood. pH was significantly lower and higher</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 453.996px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.884003);">after a high flood in Zones 1 and 6, respectively, than during low flood. P content was significantly (</div><div style="left: 846.8956666666667px; top: 453.99630729166665px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 854.198px; top: 453.996px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.02554);">&lt;0.05)</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 473.196px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.833861);">higher in all zones after high flood than after low flood. Flooding depth and duration increased (</div><div style="left: 846.8954999999999px; top: 473.1956406249999px; font-size: 14.999999999999998px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</div><div style="left: 854.198px; top: 473.196px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.02554);">&lt;0.05)</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 492.395px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.90217);">in all vegetation zones during high flood. Our results have direct implications for</div><div style="left: 752.798px; top: 492.395px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.892813);">molapo</div><div style="left: 795.645px; top: 492.395px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.909872);">(flood recession)</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 511.594px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.876888);">farming. We recommend that farmers plough immediately after the onset of flood recession when the soil is</div><div style="left: 288.189px; top: 530.793px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.8925);">still moist and rich in nutrients.</div> ER -