Effects of Deforestation on Land Degradation in Gbonyin LGA of EKITI

Indiscriminate exploitation of forest is fast destroying the properties of the soil, displacing animals and loss of biodiversity. The practices of lumbering, fetching of wood for fuel and bush burning are as old as man. More often than not, traditional farmers clear their farmlands by burning. As a result, several hectares of forest including economic trees and plantations have been destroyed in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State. It is in the light of these shortcomings that this study is carried out with the aim of investigating the differences between the soil properties in the forest and deforested lands of Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The study investigated the effects of deforestation on land degradation in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State. All the soil samples were collected at the depth of 0 to 30cm through the use of soil auger from ten settlements within the Local Government Area both from forest and deforested lands. The study used both field and laboratory experiments to determine the concentration of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), soil organic matter (SOM) and bulk density in the forest and deforested lands of LGA.